Love Doesn't Hurt
by nurdgurl714
Summary: After realizing his secret love is in an abusive relationship, Horatio must act fast before Ryan destroys himself. But just how far is he willing to go? Is he willing to risk everything? Warning! Violence, abuse, slash. Mature audiences only! HoratioxRyan
1. Chapter 1

**Setting: Between Season Six and Seven. Horatio and Marisol did not marry, and she is still alive. **

"Have you seen Mr. Wolfe Eric?" Horatio asked. His impatience was evident in his voice. Over the past month, Ryan had been late to almost every crime scene. Horatio had given him several warnings but obviously it had fallen on deaf ears.

"Uh no," Eric answered.

"Call him please."

Eric took out his cell phone to dial Ryan. Ryan picked up on the second ring. "Yeah?" his voice sounded frantic.

"Ryan? Where the hell are you? Horatio's pissed!"

"I know! I know! I'm coming, just give me a half hour, I swear!" Eric hears someone swearing in the background.

"Who the fuck is that on the phone?" the voice demands.

"Nobody!" Ryan exclaims. "Just work-"

"Who is this?" a gruff voice demands at Eric.

"Who the hell is this?" Eric snaps back. Horatio has been studying him, and walks over to see what the problem is. He held out his hand. Eric handed him the phone.

"Hello."

"Who is this?"

"Ryan Wolfe please."

"I said who the hell is this?"

"This is Lieutenant Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade police department. I would like to speak with Ryan Wolfe _now_." Horatio said to the rude man on the phone.

"Hello? H?"

"Mr. Wolfe, what is going on? Not only are you late _again,_ but when I have Eric call you to ascertain your whereabouts he finds he is unable to carry on a conversation with you. Why is that, Mr. Wolfe?"

"H, I'm so sorry-"

"That is not an answer, Mr. Wolfe. Who is that in the background?"

"Look, it's my boyfriend, I'll be there soon, gotta go!" he exclaimed as he hung up the phone.

"H? Is everything ok? What's that look on your face?" Eric asked his mentor.

"I just found out the cause of all of this trouble we've been having from Mr. Wolfe. Apparently he has a boyfriend Eric."

"Oh, I see." Eric noticed the look of disappointment on his boss's face and suddenly it all came together. Why all the women practically threw themselves at Horatio and he remained oblivious. Why he had politely declined all of his sister's dinner invitations. Why after working with him for seven years he had never, ever, seen him look at a woman with any hint of romantic interest. He already knew that Ryan was gay. Now he had just confirmed that his boss was too; and was in love with Ryan.

Horatio cursed himself silently for letting his emotion show on his face. He had hoped no one would notice his secret. He went through great pains to hide it. He never looked at Ryan straight in the eye, always called him 'Mr. Wolfe' and kept him further away than his other team members. All to hide the fact that he had been in love with the younger man since the first time he saw him.

Yeah, it sounded stupid. Love at first sight? At his age? So he chalked it up to lust; the younger man was very attractive, and energetic. And those eyes, those beautiful hazel eyes; he could melt every time he saw them. Horatio didn't act on his feelings, he usually didn't. For some reason he felt like it would be cheating on Ryan, although Ryan knew nothing of his feelings and certainly wouldn't reciprocate them. Horatio was too old for him. Who wanted a worn down, battle weary cop? No one, that's who; except silly girls like Eric's sister. No matter how much ignored their advances women kept throwing themselves at him. Sometimes he just wanted to scream out 'I'm gay!" but that would only create more problems. Besides, he knew better than to date anyone on the job. He had done it once, many years ago and not only did it end badly but it still haunted him til this day. And Rick would never let him forget. But Ryan is different. Horatio saw his face every night when he closed his eyes for bed.

"Dammit Lenny! Enough!" Ryan shouted and he struggled to fend off his boyfriend's latest tirade of attacks. "Get the hell off of me!"

"Horatio eh? So that was him? The one you cry for in your sleep?" They knocked over a lamp in their struggle, and fell over a table. Lenny was getting more and more excited, Ryan knew he wouldn't be able to go to work by the time this was finished. He braced himself for the worst. Suddenly Lenny was whisked away and he heard more voices and more crashes. He opened his eyes and saw Eric struggling with Lenny and Horatio standing directly above him.

"Ryan?" Horatio called his name softly. For a moment, their eyes met. Each man saw the passion and emotion behind the other's eyes. Horatio saw a faint glimmer of hope in Ryan's eyes before being replaced by anger and embarrassment.

"I said shut up!" Eric shouted as he finally managed to cuff Lenny. "You're under arrest for assaulting an officer!" Eric dragged Lenny outside. Horatio helped Ryan to the tattered remains of the couch. He then went to the freezer and pulled out a pack of frozen carrots and handed it to Ryan.

"Thanks," Ryan mumbled. A long awkward silence ensued. Ryan stewed in his humiliation and shame. Horatio struggled to find the right words to comfort his secret love, and to suppress the rage that he felt at knowing that this animal had dared to put his hands on Ryan.

"H, I'm sorry about this…"

"Ryan, you have nothing to be sorry about. This is not your-"

"Please, please, don't give me that speech H. This is my fault. I should have done something about this a long time ago. I should have never let it get this far. I should have left him months ago."

"Why didn't you?" Horatio asked, trying to keep the anguish out of his voice. He wasn't successful.

"Because…" Ryan trailed off. "Never mind." He couldn't tell him the real truth, which he was punishing himself because he couldn't have who he really wanted.

"So that bar room fight never happened." Horatio said. A few weeks ago Ryan came in with a black eye, and he claimed that he had gotten it breaking up a fight at a bar. When Horatio pressed him for more information, Ryan was sketchy on the details, saying that the owner didn't want to make a big deal about it.

"No. Neither did the back strain moving furniture or the fender bender where I bruised my ribs," Ryan said bitterly.

Horatio had to turn his back on Ryan to suppress his rage. His instincts were taking over, the ones that told him to take that animal to a deserted alley, beat him to a bloody pulp and then put a bullet in his temple.

The noise outside snapped both Ryan and Horatio out of their thoughts.

"Get the fuck off me!" Lenny yelled.

"I said shut up!" Eric exclaimed. Back up had arrived and they were shoving Lenny in a squad car, which was no easy feat. Lenny was six four and two hundred fifty-six pounds, which is why he always got the best of Ryan who was five nine and one seventy, and Lenny was five years younger.

"What's going to happen to him?" Ryan asked, not out of concern, just wanted to know what to expect next.

"He's going to be arrested for assaulting Eric and resisting arrest; it's up to you whether to press charges against him or not. He'll probably get a couple of weeks and probation, unless he has a record."

"He does."

"Then he'll get the max. Ryan, I-"

"Look H, I don't want to talk about it. I'm not pressing charges."

"Ryan-"

"You know what a laughingstock I'll become? A cop who can't even stop his own boyfriend from beating on him. I'll never live that down."

"Ryan I'll take care of it-"

"Oh no you don't. Not again. You've saved my ass too many times before. Remember the gambling? The thing with the nailgun? And now this? I've become too much of a liability to this team. It's time I do this," Ryan took off his badge and handed it to Horatio.

"What's this?" Horatio asked, as if he didn't know the answer.

"My resignation."

"I think not," Horatio countered, placing the badge on the table. "Ryan, I know you've been through a lot-"

"How the hell would you know what I've been through?" Ryan demanded.

"More that you know Ryan. Let's just leave it at that." Horatio didn't feel like delving into his past at the moment.

"H?"

"Like I was saying Ryan, I know you've been through a lot. Take some time off. I'll put in some paid medical leave for you. Take all the time you need. Now let me help you clean up-"

"No H, I got it."

"Ryan-"

Ryan clenched his fists in frustration. "H, please just let me do this. I'll take care of it. I just need to be left alone right now."

Horatio paused for a moment to think. He knew he was being pushy, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't going to let Ryan go now, and that animal wasn't going to go near him again.

"Ryan I'm sorry, I'll back off. But I'm not going to go away. I want you to promise me two things. If you need something, anything then call me, and _only _ me. Also, stay away from Leonardo, he's bad news and I don't want you around him."

The protective sound in Horatio's voice was comforting to Ryan, but Ryan knew it was just because he was on Horatio's team, it's not like Horatio had any true feelings for him.

"I'm going to call you later this afternoon, around six. Please answer when I call. Promise?"

"Promise," Ryan confirmed.

Horatio reached out and touched Ryan's sore cheek. Ryan closed his eyes and sighed at his touch, then he was gone.

Horatio's plan came together as he left. It was reckless and very risky, but necessary. Ryan needed him, and he needed Ryan. The man he loved was on a path of self destruction and Horatio knew he couldn't wait any longer.

**You like? Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Every officer at the station was quaking in fear. Horatio Caine was in a rage, and they had never seen anything like it.

"What the hell do you mean you booked him and released him?" he demanded.

"Lieutenant Caine, we are overcrowded and since it was a simple assault-"

"_Simple assault? _ He assaulted two officers and resisted arrest!" Horatio roared. "You have one hour to get him back here, or you're fired!"

The officers scrambled like cockroaches in the kitchen when the light comes on.

Leonardo Borgia may have been stupid, but not as stupid as most people thought. He knew that red-headed cop had it in for him. Horatio Caine, his boyfriend's boss, the one he had a crush on. He knew Ryan was just settling for him because he couldn't have that old man. And he was old; he had to be what…fifty? Leonardo was twenty eight, in his prime and his competition was well into middle age. Ryan was thirty three. Yeah, there was no way in hell that old man would ever get his hands on Ryan, he would kill him first, or Ryan for that matter. But first, Ryan had to be punished. He had brought that red-headed cop to his house and his little Mexican sidekick too. And they arrested him. Another assault charge would land him in lock up for at least six months, probably a year since he had 'assaulted' a cop. Yeah, Ryan was going to have to learn to keep those nosy assed cops out of their business.

Leonardo didn't think of himself as violent. People just liked to provoke him. Why couldn't they just do what he said? Just like his mother. If she had just done what his father said the first time, then he wouldn't have had to hit her. He tried to point this out to his sister but she wouldn't listen; so he had to make her listen. After his father died his mother kicked him out of the house, after the thousandth 'you're just like your father'. Women disgusted him, so he dealt with them as little as possible. He certainly didn't want to have sex with one. He instead found men, always smaller, and timid, like his mother. But just like his mother, they got mouthy, especially Ryan. He felt that because he was a cop that he could do and say whatever he wanted, but he couldn't. One night he pulled his gun on Lenny, but Lenny taunted him, daring him to shoot him and then explain to his fellow cops why he shot an unarmed man in his underwear. So Ryan didn't shoot. But Lenny had to still teach him the same lesson, over and over again. And after that night that he heard Ryan mutter 'Horatio' in his sleep the lessons had become more frequent.

Ryan was so sore that he could barely move. He had cleaned up the house, and hauled away the broken furniture to the dumpster. He admitted to himself that he had overdone it. Now he would take a long soak in the tub with some Epsom salts and go to bed. Lenny would be gone for a while. Ryan could use this time to finally be rid of him. He could move and be done with it. Then maybe he and Horatio…no, that would never be. Why would Horatio want him? He was the team screw up, and had just spent the past year being another man's punching bag. Oh well, at least they could be friends, right? No, scratch that too. Horatio would never see him as more than a charity case. His phone rang. He smiled when he saw Horatio's name pop up.

"Hey, Horatio."

"Ryan, how are you feeling?"

"Not good. I can barely move. I may have overdone it today."

"Well get some rest. I'm coming by there to check on you."

"Thanks H, but-"

"No buts Ryan. And I have some bad news. I'm afraid these incompetents let Lenny go after they booked him today, against my orders."

Ryan gasped. "What did you say?"

"Apparently they said the holding area was overcrowded. I have ordered them to apprehend him and bring him back immediately. In the meantime-"

"Who the hell you talking to, bitch?" A voice boomed out from behind Ryan. Then everything went black.

Ryan woke up in the hospital. His body was completely numb. His mouth was dry; his tongue was swollen. He tried to move his head but he couldn't. Eric was hovering over him.

"He's up," Eric said to the other person in the room. Suddenly that familiar red head with the warm smile swam into view.

"Ryan, I'm glad you're awake. I won't ask how you're feeling because that is obviously a stupid question."

"What happened?" Ryan rasped. Horatio was about to answer when his phone rang. "I'll be right back," he promised.

"Eric, what happened?" Ryan asked again.

"Well those incompetents released that asshole after they booked him, and he headed straight back to your house. By the time we got there you two were really going at it, but he had you…no offense. But you should have seen H. I had to pull him off of that guy; he was going to kill him! I've never seen him like that. He kept screaming 'I'll kill you asshole!' and all kinds of shit. He seriously was going to kill that dude if I hadn't stopped him. He's in the hospital too, with a concussion and a broken collarbone, I think. His lawyer is screaming police brutality or some shit like that."

Ryan was shocked. "Really? He was going to…because of me?"

"Yeah, dude. That shit scared the hell out of me. I wrote up a statement that said that that guy was attacking you and we had to restrain him and he resisted, which was true but H took it very personally…hang on…" Eric walked to the door and looked out, and muttered a curse.

"Shit. Stetler's here. I'll be back."

"Horatio, what the hell happened?" Rick was demanding. "Did you get a look at that guy? His lawyer's screaming bloody murder! What the hell did Delko-"

"Stop right there Rick," Horatio cut him off. "Delko followed standard procedure. Most of the physical altercation was between Borgia and me."

Rick's mouth hung open in shock. "_You?_ You beat that guy to a bloody pulp like that? How the hell did that happen?"

"He attacked one of my CSI's. Eric and I went to restrain him and he resisted arrest and then attacked me. We had already arrested him earlier that day for assaulting Eric."

"Is this about Wolfe? Borgia gave a statement. He says you two interfered in an argument he was having with Ryan and you and Eric jumped him."

"Are you going to take his word over mine? You read Eric's statement didn't you?"

"Yeah, I read it. But what I want to know is how the hell did you just happen to be there both times when these alleged attacks were in progress?" Rick glared at him accusingly.

"There was an incident this morning when I was on the phone with Ryan. Borgia attacked him while we were talking. Eric and I went over there and he attacked Eric as we broke it up, so we arrested him. After he was released, he went _back_ to Ryan's place and attacked him again."

"And that's when you tried to kill him."

"He assaulted me and resisted arrest."

"So you say," Rick snorts. "Even if he came after you with a bat, that doesn't justify the extent of his injuries. The department is going to have to cough up some dough to make this go away. They're asking for two million."

"That's absurd."

"Maybe, but you definitely went over the line."

"My actions were completely justified. I was well within my right to defend myself, Eric, and Ryan who was unconscious at this point."

"Now I see," Rick said. "This isn't about some 'assault on a police officer', this is about Ryan. You like him don't you? You're jealous of him and his boyfriend, and you've been picking fights."

"Did you see Ryan? He has six broken ribs! His spleen is ruptured and he is bleeding internally!"

"So passionate Horatio; your gallantry is duly noted. I'm sure Ryan will appreciate it; but in the end, he will go back to Borgia, they always do. And pretty soon he will have two million other reasons to do so." Rick abruptly halted his snide remark when he saw Horatio's face.

"Walk away Rick. _Now._ And I don't want to set eyes on you again tonight, or you may end up in a bed beside Borgia."

"Horatio, I'm sorry-"

"I said walk away Rick."

"Fine; but I need your badge and gun." Horatio surrendered it without argument. They could have it. And he would gladly do the same thing again if it meant defending Ryan.

He stepped back into Ryan's hospital room.

"Ryan?"

"Horatio…" Ryan said sleepily. "Eric told me…what happened…"

"Ryan, I'm going to take care of you, OK?"

"Okay…" Ryan said dreamily.

"He will never hurt you again Ryan. I promise. I won't let him come near you again."

"Okay…"

"Ryan, one more thing; don't ever scare me like that again. I thought I had lost you. I was so scared. Don't ever leave me Ryan. I love you." Horatio's tongue froze in his mouth as he revealed the depth of his feelings. But it was too late to take back what he said.

"Love you too H…" Ryan muttered. "…for so long…since I first saw you…"

"What? What did you say Ryan?" Horatio asked. "Ryan?"

But Ryan was fast asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Eric peeked into the hospital room. He saw Horatio's head resting on the bed with Ryan, and his hand clutching Ryan's. He moved in quickly to awaken Horatio since there were other people coming. He tapped Horatio on the shoulder.

"H," Eric whispered in his ear. "Someone's coming." Horatio sat up quickly and rubbed his eyes.

"Thanks," Horatio said just before the deputy chief burst through the door.

"Horatio what happened? I've seen that boy. He's in pretty bad shape. Did you do that?"

"I did."

"Why?" the chief demanded.

"Look at Mr. Wolfe," Horatio quipped, trying to keep his voice under control. "He was nearly beaten to death by Borgia. What was I supposed to do?" Horatio demanded.

"If Wolfe was really that bad off then you should have fired your weapon. You have never been one to hesitate to use deadly force so there must be some other reason for you to result to such a messy method of subduing the suspect. You don't normally like to get blood on those expensive tailored suits."

Horatio shot the chief a death glare. "Horatio, you've been glowering at everyone who dares to challenge you on this course of action. You have to admit that it is unlike you. Street brawling is more Delko's thing."

"I did what I had to do."

"Famous last words. I see that you have already surrendered your badge and service weapon to Agent Stetler. You may keep your off duty handgun, for now. I would advise you to cooperate with IAB's investigation."

"I will."

"Well, Wolfe will be here for a few more days. We'll send IAB to get a statement from-"

"Can't that wait until he's off medical leave?" Horatio cut in.

"Absolutely not; the department is moving for a settlement and to do that we need Wolfe's statement. I'm sending someone tomorrow."

"Don't send Stetler."

"Fine. Johnson will be here tomorrow. Go home and get some rest."

"Thank you."

"Alright Horatio, see you." The chief left. Eric popped back into the room.

"H, I'm going home. I'll come by tomorrow."

"OK, thanks Eric."

"No problem." Eric turned to leave. Horatio called after him.

" Eric?"

Eric turned. "Yeah?"

"About what you saw…" Horatio paused.

"What did I see?"

"Between Ryan and me earlier…"

"What about it?"

"Well I would appreciate it if you kept it between us."

"H, you know I got you."

"Thanks, Eric."

Horatio went to the little bathroom and looked at his tired and weary face in the mirror. Lines etched by the sun, stress, and age crossed his face. His eyes were sad and tired. If he looked close, he could see a few streaks of grey in his red hair. He looked down at his hands, his knuckles were bruised and raw, where he had pummeled Borgia's face in. He heard a noise as someone entered Ryan's room. A nurse was checking Ryan's vitals.

"How is he?" Horatio asked the nurse.

"He will be fine, but very sore for a while. He's a police officer, correct?"

"Yes, a CSI."

"Well, he won't be doing that for a while with all his broken ribs; four to six weeks at least. But that's really up to the doctor."

"I see," Horatio made his way back to the chair and sat down, preparing for a long, uncomfortable night.

"Sir, are you staying here tonight?"

"Yes, I am."

"Are you sure? That chair-"

"I'll be fine." Actually he wouldn't be fine. As he grew older, he found that he needed a good night's rest in a firm bed every night. "Actually, I have to go home for an hour or two. I will be back around eleven. Will you still be here?"

"I get off at midnight. If you get back before I get off, I can let you in. The overnight nurse won't."

"Thank you." Horatio hurried home to take a shower, shave, and change clothes. He packed some personal items and a few more outfits with him. The next time he slept here, Ryan would be sleeping here with him.

When he arrived back at the hospital, he asked the nurse if there was something he could do about his hands; his extremely fair skin was beginning to bruise around the knuckles. The nurse couldn't offer any remedies other than he already knew, but she did find him a comfortable recliner and provided him with a blanket and pillow. That night, Horatio and Ryan took turns dozing off and waking, checking on each other and whispering their devotion to each other.

Horatio made sure he was up early the next morning and showed no signs that he had slept there that night. His items were tucked away and he was wearing new clothes. IAB arrived promptly at ten.

"Lieutenant Caine," Rick greeted him. Horatio shot him a glare; he wasn't pleased that Rick was handling this case, particularly because he had specifically requested that someone other than Rick handle the case. Oh well.

"Rick."

"I am here to take Wolfe's statement." Rick answered, studying Horatio for some type of emotional response. There wasn't. "You may wait outside," Rick instructed Horatio.

"No, I want him in here," Ryan stipulated.

"He has no grounds for staying," Rick countered. "You are not calling the shots here, Wolfe. I am."

"OK Mr. Shot caller," Ryan sneered. "I'm not feeling well. I think I'll get the doctor down here to throw you out. You're distressing me. You want a statement? Talk to my union rep in six weeks."

_Well played Ryan,_ Horatio praised his love silently.

"Alright fine, Caine stays. But keep your mouth shut," Rick warned.

Ryan couldn't say much, other than Leonardo 'Lenny' Borgia was his boyfriend and they had gotten into a physical altercation twice that day and Horatio and Eric intervened. Rick wasn't satisfied, but there was nothing else that could be done.

"So what happened, H?" Ryan asked. "Eric tells me you beat the hell out of Lenny, and nearly killed him."

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because he hurt you."

"You did all of that because of me?"

"Of course."

"What about your job? The brass is pissed!"

"I'll be fine Ryan."

"No you won't! What if they fire you?"

"Then I'll seek employment elsewhere."

"H! No! Haven't…ah!" Ryan finished in an anguished whimper; the excitement had caused him to move too much, aggravating his bruised ribs.

"Ryan, please, shhhhh…" Horatio's voice was deep, smooth, and soothing. He laid Ryan gently back in the bed. "Relax, don't get too excited. I'll be fine. What's important right now is that you rest and recover."

"Alright," Ryan said as he sat back. He gave himself a dose of morphine and waited for it to kick in. "Ahhhh…" he sighed. "They said I could go home at the end of the week but they want to send a nurse by my house but my insurance doesn't cover that…"

"Ryan, you're coming home with me. I'm going to take care of you."

"Okay…" Ryan said again with that dreamy tone.

"Ryan are you sure you understand what I'm saying?"

"Course I do. I'm going to go home with you and you're going to take care of me…but H, what if Lenny comes after me again?"

"Then I will kill him," Horatio said coldly.

Ryan's hazel eye fluttered open at that. "Well then I guess he'd better stay away." Ryan slipped his hand into Horatio's and drifted off to sleep.

When the doctor came in, Horatio was happy to see a familiar face. "Alexx," he greeted. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, but what happened to my baby? Did that lowlife down the hall really do this to him?"

"I'm afraid so, Alexx," Horatio answered. "But it will never happen again."

"Have you told Ryan how you feel?" Alexx was a woman, and not only was she extremely perceptive, but she had looked in on them this morning and seen them holding hands.

"Sort of; he was doped up last night. He probably won't even remember."

"He might. You may want to reaffirm while he's awake though."

"I will. When can he go home?"

"In a few days, but he doesn't need to be by himself. I recommended a nurse but I know he doesn't have coverage-"

"He's coming home with me," Horatio insisted.

"Good. He'll need someone to take care of him. I can't think of anyone more qualified than you."

"Thank you Alexx. How is Borgia?" He knew that he was treading the line, because Borgia was a potential plaintiff in a lawsuit and because she wasn't supposed to reveal that information, but Horatio had to know.

"Well you worked him over pretty good Horatio. He has a broken jaw, broken nose, and collarbone, but he isn't as bad off as his lawyer is claiming. I'm not the physician of record of course, because of my connection with the P.D."

Horatio kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks Alexx."


	4. Chapter 4

To keep the incident from leaking to the press, the MDPD offered Leonardo Borgia three hundred thousand dollars. Borgia accepted, and signed a confidentiality agreement. Horatio was suspended for thirty days without pay and cited for excessive force and ordered to stay 100 yards from Borgia, lest criminal charges be filed. Borgia was ordered to stay 100 yards away from Ryan at all times, or risk going to jail and a counter lawsuit be filed against him by the MDPD.

Ryan was released at the end of the week and came to stay with Horatio, who waited on him hand and foot, catering to his every need and embarrassing Ryan.

"H please," Ryan was blushing and trying to hide his embarrassment; "you don't have to treat me like this. I have done nothing to deserve it."

"Ryan, you are a guest in my home and injured; and I will care for you as I see fit."

Ryan sighed in frustration.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Ryan?" Horatio asked.

"Yes, a little."

"Why is that?" Horatio asked, studying Ryan carefully.

"Because…I don't deserve this type of treatment! Not from you."

Horatio face hardened. "Why would you say that Ryan?"

"Because, H. You don't understand…just drop it…" Ryan turned to face the wall. Horatio turned him back around.

"Make me understand Ryan, because right now you're not making sense."

"H, the only reason I was with Lenny is because I couldn't have who I really wanted."

Horatio's stomach got little flutters but he didn't want to get his hopes up. "And who was that, Mr. Wolfe?"

"It was…it was you, OK?" Ryan's face was flushed, and Horatio could tell that he desperately wanted to flee.

"Me? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because, H, I'm an idiot! And a screw up! I don't even know why you still keep me."

"I keep you because you're not a screw up, you're a good CSI. And Ryan just so you know I've wanted you since the first time I saw you."

Ryan stared at Horatio with those big Hazel eyes. "Really? Well what's your excuse? Why did you keep quiet?"

"Because I'm your boss, and office romances almost always end in disaster. And I'm much too old for you Ryan."

"I think we could be careful not to let work come between us," Ryan concluded. "And who says you're too old for me?"

"Ryan, do you know how old I am?"

"Yes, I do Horatio. But that's not the issue. What would you want with me? My life these past three years has been characterized by one lapse in judgment after another."

"So has mine, Ryan; starting with the fact that I didn't go after you when I should have. But I'm going to fix that now." Horatio leaned in and brushed Ryan's lips with his. Ryan responded hungrily, pulling Horatio to him and kissing with urgency. Horatio was careful not to jostle Ryan, or to put too much weight on him, since he was still healing. But as they kissed, letting years of pent up frustration and hidden desire pass between them Horatio felt the lust welling up within him and he knew that they both needed some type of release that evening.

Horatio moved to Ryan's neck, leaving a blazing trail of we kisses in his wake. Ryan moaned softly and ran his hands through Horatio's soft red hair, something he had wanted to do since he met him. Horatio leaned Ryan back on the pile of pillows and whispered in his ear. "Ryan, I'm going to make you feel good tonight, so relax and enjoy it ok?"

"Ok," Ryan breathed.

Horatio slid Ryan's sweats down and reached inside Ryan's boxers for his growing erection. Ryan moaned as Horatio stroked him slowly. He wanted to move his hips but it hurt too much. He relaxed and closed his eyes, but they flew open when he felt Horatio's moist mouth around the head of his cock.

"Ahhhh…" Ryan breathed, threading his hands through Horatio's hair again. Horatio took Ryan's entire length in, slowly, inch by inch.

"Horatio…god…uhhhh…" Ryan whimpered as he gripped Horatio's hair even harder. Horatio didn't mind though, as long as Ryan was getting pleasure. Ryan felt a little pain as he arched his back to meet Horatio's willing mouth, but it was not enough to stop him.

"Ummmmm," Horatio hummed along Ryan's length, the sensations driving Ryan into a frenzy. The sight of Horatio's head bobbing up and down on his dick along with the feeling of his warm mouth wrapped around him was too much for Ryan. His climax approached quickly.

"H, get ready I'm going to come so if you don't want to…oh god, Horatio!" Ryan shouted as he climaxed into Horatio's willing mouth.

Ryan then pulled Horatio back to his mouth, tasting his own essence on his lover's lips. His hands wondered down inside Horatio's pants, stroking his raging erection. He knew he wouldn't be able to return Horatio's gracious favor in his condition but he could do something.

"Do you have any lotion or oil?" Ryan whispered in H's ear.

"I do." Horatio went to his bedroom and retrieved his favorite massage oil, which he used from time to time when he needed some release. He also took off his pants; he didn't want to ruin them. When he returned, Ryan was sitting up on the pillows and he beckoned Horatio closer. As he slipped his hand inside Horatio's boxers and stroked he whispered naughty fantasies in Horatio's ear.

"God, you're huge. I can't wait to feel all of this juicy cock inside of me," Ryan panted as he oiled up his hands. "But first I'm going to return the favor of what you did for me. I'll bet you can't wait to see me down on my knees and feel your cock in my mouth," Ryan breathed. "Because I can't."

"Oh, god Ryan. I can't wait," Horatio panted. His eyes were closed and he was pumping into Ryan's hand moaning and muttering obscene things shamelessly.

"Squeeze me harder, stroke faster Ryan please," Horatio begged.

"I will if you tell me what you're going to do to me," Ryan promised.

"I'm going to fuck your brains out. I'm going to pound your sweet little ass so hard you're going to forget all about that asshole, you're going to be signing my name in your sleep!" Horatio vowed.

"I already do H," Ryan told him. "That's why he went after you. I say your name in my sleep and he was jealous because he knew I wanted you H. I wanted you so bad. I keep picturing you taking me hard and fast, fucking me until I screamed your name at the top of my lungs. Is that what you want H? I know it is, isn't it?"

"Ahhh, Ryan. I'm going to tear that sweet little ass apart! Hang on, I'm coming!" And with that he climaxed all over himself, and Ryan, and the sheets. He quickly went into the bathroom and cleaned himself up, then returned to give Ryan hot washcloth.

"I'll say that was long overdue," Ryan commented.

"It was," Horatio agreed. "And I can't wait to finish what we started. "You're mines now Ryan. Don't forget that. And if that lowlife comes anywhere near you I'll blow his head off."

"I'm sure he won't; but giving a loser like him that a large amount of money is like giving a meth head a lifetime supply of dope."

"Well that's not our problem," Horatio concluded.

Lenny growled and tried to control the white hot anger that was raging inside of him as he crept away from the window. "Don't worry red," he vowed, "I'll make it your problem. Ryan is mine."


	5. Chapter 5

Lenny crept down the street back to his new car, a brand new cherry red Porsche 911. When he and Ryan first started seeing each other, Ryan would joke that he wanted one, but would never be able to afford it on a cop's salary. Lenny had suggested that Ryan start moving drugs, especially meth and heroin but Ryan took offense, and thus Lenny had to teach Ryan his first lesson that night. But Ryan was more feisty back then, and Lenny had to leave for a couple of days. A few crocodile tears later and he was back.

When he brought this car he had Ryan in mind when he drove it off the lot. He imagined how they could ride around in it together with the hood down and the wind in their hair. Hell, he might even let Ryan drive it. But Ryan had gone home with that old man, and his lawyer had warned him to take the restraining order seriously because he wouldn't represent him if he did. What a prick. His layer had taken his cut of 100 grand and split. Screw him, and _nobody_ told Leonardo Antonio Borgia what to do! All he had to do was get Ryan away from that crazy red head to talk some sense into him. He knew Ryan wouldn't do anything to him, but that red headed nut job just might pull the trigger. And he could fight for an old man. But being a cop was risky, especially as high profile as the old man was. He was sure an unfortunate accident would claim his life one day soon; and if not for the right price one could be arranged.

Over the next month Ryan recovered slowly, with Horatio there every step of the way. One day, a week before Horatio was due to return to work; one of his neighbors stopped by.

"Mrs. Otis," he greeted the elder woman and invited her in. "What brings you by?"

"Look Horatio, as you know I am in charge of the neighborhood watch."

"Yes ma'am and you're doing a fine job."

"Thank you. And your house is kind of secluded and not really a part of the neighborhood but…" she paused.

"What is it?" Horatio asked. "You know you can come to me with anything."

Well, ever since you bought that young man home there's been a mysterious red sports car parked at the end of your cul-de-sac. I've been keeping an eye on it, and I finally saw who owns it."

Horatio's jaw clenched so he adjusted his gaze so as not to startle him. He knew exactly where this is going. "Who is it?"

"I don't know the man's name, but he's really tall with dark curly hair."

"I see." It took years of self control not to let his rage emerge, after all he was in the presence of a lady. "Can you tell me anything else?"

"Yes, this is his license plate number." She handed him a piece of paper.

"Thank you. You serve this community well. Mrs. Otis, the next time you see him, call me immediately."

"I will."

When she left, Horatio called Eric. "Eric, I need you to swing by as soon as you can."

One hour later, Eric and Horatio sat out in the Hummer. "What's up H?"

"We have a situation."

"What is it?"

"I believe, Eric, that Borgia has been staking out my house."

Eric stared at him in disbelief. "Are you sure? He's not supposed to come anywhere near you."

"Actually he's not supposed to come anywhere near Ryan. I'm the one who has to keep away from him. But I have to be certain. Run this license plate," Horatio handed him the paper.

Eric popped open his laptop and typed in the number into the MDPD database. "Yep. A red Porsche 911 registered to Leonardo Borgia. Looks like he bought it right after he got the settlement money."

Horatio nodded.

Eric looked concerned. "H, what are we going to do?"

"I will handle it-"

"No H," Eric cut him off. "I don't want you to go to jail or get fired over this asshole. Let _me_ take care of it."

Horatio shook his head. "Eric, I don't want you tainted by this. I took a lot of convincing on my part for them not to get you cited and suspended with me."

Eric sighed heavily. "So what are we going to do? How close do you think he came?"

Horatio suddenly thought of something. If Borgia was bold enough to park at the end of his street, who's to say that he didn't come closer? "Eric, do you have your kit with you?"

"Always, H."

"I want you to check for signs that he's been around the house. I, of course, cannot be involved in the investigation."

"Alright."

Thirty minutes later, Eric came in to deliver him the news. "I found footprints outside your bedroom window, very high end athletic shoe, size twelve. And…" he paused. "I found fingerprints outside both your bedroom window and the spare bedroom. I need to run them through IAFIS, but I'm pretty sure they're Borgia's."

" Do that, and call me ASAP with the results."

"What results?" Ryan asked sleepily. He had laid down for his afternoon nap, the painkillers made him sleepy.

"Hey Wolfe," Eric said, standing up and walking over to the shorter man. "How you been feeling?"

"Alright," Ryan answered. He didn't want to tell him that both he and Horatio were enjoying each other, but also both ready to get back to work. "I'm coming back to work in two weeks."

"Pending the doctor's approval," Horatio interjected. He had wanted Ryan to take more time off, but he knew that Ryan had an independent streak and he didn't want to fight about it, but now that Horatio knew that Borgia had been casing the house then Ryan was going to have to go back with him. He would _not _ leave Ryan here alone with Borgia out there.

"Well, see you later," Eric called over his shoulder as he left. Ryan didn't miss the look that passed between them.

Ryan turned to his boyfriend. "What was that about? What's going on H?"

Horatio thought as fast as he could. "I don't quite know yet. Eric and I were consulting on a case. He's going to call and report his findings."

Ryan wasn't convinced, but let it go for now. Horatio was always so secretive, and he and Eric had always been close. It had made Ryan jealous and caused a lot of antipathy between them in the beginning. Those feelings of resentment started building up again, but he struggled to put them back. One because Eric was instrumental in saving him and keeping things about he and Horatio quiet, and two because Horatio was studying his expression.

"Ryan, what is it? What's that look all about?" Horatio asked, even though he already knew.

"Nothing. I think I'll go lie back down for a while." Ryan turned and walked back towards the bedrooms. Horatio was tempted to follow him, but wanted to give Ryan his space.

Eric called fifteen minutes later. Horatio knew something had happened; he couldn't have gotten back to the station that fast and ran the fingerprints.

"What is it Eric?"

"H, I got called out on a hit and run. I can't get back to the lab yet." Horatio was impatient, he wanted the results now, but he understood that work came first.

"Of course, just call me when you get the results." After he hung up, he went to his home office and checked some work emails. Nothing important, just administrative stuff, IAB telling him that he could return to work next Tuesday. He wasn't allowed to communicate on any case files while he was out; but of course if Calleigh or Eric got hung up they would call him. He heard Ryan stir and emerge from the bedroom.

"H?"

"Yeah?" Horatio turned around.

"I want to go out today."

"Go out? Where?" Horatio was reluctant, since Ryan still tired easily from the medications and because he didn't like to expose his private life to others. Only Eric and Alexx knew that Ryan was staying with him. Now he had a third reason, he didn't want to run into that maniac Borgia.

"Anywhere. Don't you get tired of being cooped up in here? The only place I go is to the doctor, and you shop and run errands for me. Could we at least go by my apartment to get the mail?"

"Sure, and then we could eat out tonight." Horatio was still feeling guilty about earlier, so he decided to let Ryan have his way.

"Great! I'll get ready."

They opted instead to go out to eat first. Horatio wanted to dine inside, but Ryan insisted they eat outside on the patio. Horatio had to admit that it was the closest they had come to a real date, between Ryan's recovery and keeping their relationship a secret.

After they ate, they stopped by Ryan's apartment. Ryan collected his mail and ventured back to the bedroom. Horatio looked around, checking to see if anything was out of order. He jumped and ran back to the bedroom when he hear Ryan yell, thinking that he had injured himself; but Ryan was fine, at least physically.

What had startled him was the bed, which was made up with black satin sheets and covered in fresh rose petals. There was a folded letter on one of the pillows.

"He's been here H. He's been in the apartment!"


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright Ryan, remain calm. Don't touch anything." Horatio took out his phone. "Eric, you and Calleigh report to Ryan's apartment immediately, prepare to do full processing."

He hung up the phone and turned to Ryan, who was hyperventilating. "Ryan, shhhh, calm down and breathe. It's going to be ok, Ryan."

"H! No! Don't you see! He doesn't care about the law! He's not going to stop until one of us is dead!"

"Ryan!" Horatio said sharply, making him jump. "Remember my promise? He won't get near you. If he does-"

"No Horatio, don't' say it! Please! If you did it then you might go to jail and I couldn't live without you."

Horatio gathered Ryan into a tight hug. "That's not going to happen, Ryan. Just let me take care of this, OK?"

"OK," Ryan said, his voice muffled by Horatio's shoulder. "Just please don't leave me. I love you."

Horatio rocked Ryan back and forth. "I love you too." They stood there like that until they heard sirens approach outside.

Eric and Calleigh walked in. "Is everyone alright?" Calleigh asked.

"Yes, we're fine thank you," Horatio answered. He could tell by looking at Calleigh that she knew about Ryan and him. It probably wasn't hard for someone as perceptive as Calleigh to figure out; and then there was that famous women's intuition. "Calleigh, why don't you start in the kitchen? Eric, you take the bedroom. I want a full workup."

"You got it," she said. "Ryan, can I ask you some questions?"

"Uh yeah," he answered, and followed Calleigh into the front of the apartment.

Eric stepped into the back with Horatio. "H," he whispered. "I ran those prints and they are Borgia's." Horatio nodded.

"Eric, start with that letter. Dust it for fingerprints. And we will send the part where it is sealed to DNA."

Eric put on some gloves and picked up the letter. Horatio took a pair of gloves and put them on as well. Eric took photographs and then picked up the letter. He opened the envelope and took out the letter, looking to Horatio for guidance. Horatio took the letter.

_Dear Ryan,_

_I just want you to know that we belong together. I bought that Porsche you always wanted, just for you. I am waiting on you to come back to me. I know that you are just confused right now, that's why you are with that old man. I want you to know that I am disappointed though. I saw him sucking your dick that night and I saw you jerking him off. Don't let him use you Ryan, he is trying to turn you against me, but I will not allow him to come between us. I will do whatever it takes for that old man to be out of our lives and for us to be together._

_Love,_

_L.A.B._

Horatio had to stop and weigh his options. One part of him wanted to tear this letter into shreds and make sure that no one ever saw it. Another part wanted to have it processed fully and logged into evidence so that that scumbag could be put behind bars. He fought hard against his rage, forcing back the urge to suppress evidence. He could do this, he had to do this. It was the only way to get Lenny out of their lives for good…well, actually it wasn't but he preferred not to have to result to that.

"H? You ok?"

"No Eric I'm not," he admitted. He also handed Eric the letter. Eric quickly read it and his expression turned hard. "He's not going to stop, is he?"

Horatio shook his head in agreement. "No Eric, he is not. We have to stop him."

"How?"

"That Eric, I don't know."

Back at the front, Calleigh was asking Ryan some difficult, but necessary questions.

"When was the last time that you saw Mr. Borgia?" Calleigh asked him.

"It's been over a month ago," Ryan answered. "Not since he…" he broke off, too embarrassed to continue. Now the whole thing was going to come out. Everyone was going to know what a punk he was.

"It's ok Ryan. Does he have a key to the house?" Ryan shook his head. Horatio had the locks changed while Ryan was still in the hospital, even though he had no intention of letting Ryan come back here.

"So we should be able to nab him on Breaking and Entering."

They heard a big commotion outside with the screeching of tires. Ryan and Calleigh looked out and saw a red sports car leaving the scene. A patrolman jumped in a police car and followed him, turning on the flashers and siren. Horatio and Eric rushed to the front. "What was that?" Horatio demanded.

"Somebody in a red Porsche took off. The patrolman took off after him. It almost looked like Lenny but he doesn't even have a car," Ryan answered.

Horatio sighed. _Here it comes,_ he thought. "He does now. Apparently he went out and bought one with his settlement."

Ryan studied Horatio carefully. "How do you know that? Have you-"

"Ryan, why don't we go outside and talk?" Horatio suggested, not wanting to air his dirty laundry in front of Calleigh and Eric.

Ryan followed him outside. "What's going on H? What aren't you telling me?"

"Ryan," Horatio said in that patronizing tone. "I didn't want you to worry-"

"Worry about what Horatio? What are you hiding?"

"Ryan please, let me finish. I got a visit from the head of the neighborhood watch today. She told me that a man in a red sports car had been parked at the edge of my street several times a week. She gave me the license number; and Eric matched it to the red Porsche that Lenny bought last month. Also," Horatio paused, preparing for the tirade that was about to ensue, "he been outside of our windows, spying on us."

Ryans eyes widened. "What? Outside our window?"

Horatio nodded. "Yes, Eric found his fingerprints outside the windows and footprints that are possibly his."

"Did he see us that night?"

"Yes he did, Ryan. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? Getting exposed or for getting caught lying to me?"

"Ryan, I didn't lie-"

"Let's not split hairs H. I knew you and Eric were up to something like always. I can't believe you didn't tell me. Do you think I'm some sort of child because you're taking care of me?"

"Ryan, of course not. I-"

"Then why didn't you tell me what was going on?" Ryan demanded.

"Ryan I wanted to make sure first."

"Don't freaking lie to me Horatio!" Ryan yelled. Horatio looked at him in shock.

"Ryan please, don't get worked up. Calm down-"

"Answer me this, Horatio. Can you honestly say that you were going to tell me when you found out that those were Lenny's fingerprints?"

Horatio didn't want to lie. "I honestly don't know Ryan. I didn't want you to worry. I saw your reaction when you discovered that he had been here."

Ryan sighed. "You never will see me as an equal will you? I'll always be just another victim that you have to protect."

"Ryan, that's not true at all." Is that what Ryan really thought? Did Horatio really treat him like he couldn't take care of himself?

Ryan turned his back on Horatio, he needed to compose himself, he didn't want Horatio to see him breaking down.

"Ryan," Horatio started. His voice was calm, too calm. Ryan had just did something that he couldn't tolerate. "Please don't turn your back on me." Horatio put his hand on his shoulder, but Ryan shrugged it off.

"Ryan, look at me."

"Leave me alone Horatio. I need some time to myself." Ryan spun around and went back in the apartment, with Horatio hot on his heels. Ryan started rummaging through drawers looking for something.

"Ryan, what are you doing?" Calleigh asked.

"Looking for my car keys. I gotta get out of here."

"Ryan, I see that you're upset and may want some time alone. But this is a crime scene and I can't let you remove anything."

Calleigh was right, but Ryan really needed to get away. He felt trapped here under Horatio's stifling protective cover. He needed to clear his head. He needed to think. He pulled out his wallet. He had eighty bucks cash and the last time he checked his bank account he had a few hundred bucks in there. Short term disability didn't pay much. Ryan took out his cell phone and walked outside. When Ryan finished his call, Horatio joined him.

"Ryan, what are you doing?"

"Calling a cab. I gotta get away from here, away from you."

"Ryan please, don't leave. Let's talk about this."

"Not now. I need some time alone."

Horatio watched as his boyfriend jumped in a cab and speed off.


	7. Chapter 7

Eric joined Horatio outside and watched Ryan leave in the cab.

"Where's he going?" Eric asked.

"I don't know Eric. We had a disagreement and he left to be alone for a while."

"Why was he mad?"

"Well Eric, the short version is because I didn't tell him about Borgia."

Eric sighed. "This is turning into a nightmare."

"It is indeed."

Meanwhile, Ryan was trying to figure out where he would spend the night. Horatio's place was out, and so was his apartment. He decided on a low key hotel, not a slum but not too fancy either. He walked into the hotel lobby. He was tempted to order a drink but he knew with all the meds he was taking that it was a bad idea. He ordered a soda and took a booth in the back of the bar so he could think. So Horatio, who had always had a weakness for helpless victims, had lumped him into that category. Damnit, how had it come to this?

_You know why,_ he argued with himself. _You wanted Horatio to rescue you from Lenny. Instead of leaving him, you waited for H to come and save you. Pretty soon Lenny will do something stupid and get locked up, and then everyone will know what a punk you are. Everyone will find out that he beat you, and you let him, and Horatio had to come save your ass…AGAIN._

Ryan laid his head down on the table for a few minutes, so he didn't notice a tall man with dark curly hair slip into the bar and sit in another dark corner. He didn't see him beckon to the waitress and slip her a hundred dollar bill and a small container of white powder. He didn't see her slip the white powder in his drink and stir.

After Eric and Calleigh returned to the station they processed the evidence. They found Lenny's fingerprints and DNA on the letter, and evidence that the lock had been picked. They took this information to the A.S.A. Rebecca Nevins and asked did she think that they could get a warrant for Lenny's arrest. Rebecca refused, saying that there was not enough evidence. Eric lost his patience, and asked if they had to wait for Lenny to kidnap and kill Ryan before they acted. Her smirk and answer 'maybe' caused Calleigh to whisk him from the room. They tried to bypass her and go directly to a judge, but he agreed with Rebecca, stating that changing the locks was illegal since Lenny was a resident there and on the lease. They asked if Ryan had officially asked him to leave, and they wanted to say 'yes' but they knew that didn't happen and didn't want to perjure themselves. The judge apologized and sent them on their way.

When they broke the news to Horatio, he nodded as if he knew that would happen. They parted ways and agreed to meet the next day. Horatio then called his boss, the chief and told him that this suspension had lasted long enough and he needed to get back to his team. The chief said he would have to check with IAB and get back to him.

Horatio sat in his car, anxious and irritated. This was not turning out how he imagined it. Maybe he had been too confident, too idealistic by believing that just because he roughed Lenny up that he would leave them alone. Now Lenny was threatening him, Ryan and their relationship; and he could not, and would not allow it to continue. There was only one way to end this situation.

The bartender saw Ryan drain his soda and head upstairs. He saw the tall man with the curly hair follow him, and called 911, reporting that he had saw a man hand one of his waitresses a white powder and she added it to a drink and was going to serve it to a patron, but he switched it with another drink. They told him to make sure that he kept the drink and asked what floor the man was on, but to avoid contacting him.

Ryan was exhausted by the time he got to his room. He stripped down to his underwear and turned on the TV. What was he going to do about Horatio? Should he break up with him? Did he give into him too soon? He imagined every scenario over and over in his head, finally deciding that they needed to talk and set some boundaries if they were to continue a relationship. He also was going to move into his own apartment. He had just begun to doze off when he heard someone at the door. He was about to open it, but this person had a key. Knowing that room service or housekeeping would knock first, he immediately got suspicious.

Lenny slid through the door to find his former boyfriend pointing a .38 revolver at him. Ryan always carried his back up weapon.

"Hello Ryan. Not quite the greeting I was expecting."

"Get the hell out of here before I blow your fucking head off!" Ryan shouted.

Lenny laughed. "With that little thing? A bitch's gun for a little bitch like you. I was coming up here to give you one last chance but I see I will have to teach you a final lesson, one that your old man will never forget." He lunged for Ryan, but Ryan fired two shots, one hit him in the shoulder and the other in his forearm.

"You little bitch!" Lenny screamed and went to tackle Ryan, but Ryan's strength returning, along with his rage and Lenny's injuries caused him to miss and hit the floor. Ryan attempted to run out of the room but Lenny grabbed his leg and dragged him back. He struggled to get his gun again but Lenny wrestled it from his hand. Ryan picked up a lamp and smashed Lenny in the face with it. Lenny howled in rage and grabbed his face. Ryan was finally able to get to his gun and aimed for his head. He was about to squeeze the trigger but he heard two shots ring out and Lenny slumped down the floor. He turned to see Horatio standing in the doorway lowering his weapon.

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and support. I am glad that you are enjoying the story!**


	8. Chapter 8

"H!" Ryan called out and ran to his lover and threw his arms around him.

"Ryan, it's ok. I'm here. Shhhh, calm down. He can't hurt you again. Shhhhh, it's ok." Horatio was attempting to calm Ryan, who was hyperventilating.

"He came in here…he had a key…I shot him…but he didn't…didn't…He was going to kill me!" He exclaimed.

"Shhhhh, it's ok. Are you bleeding? Did he hurt you?" Horatio had noticed the blood on Ryan's robe.

"No this is his blood. He tossed me around a little bit, but I'm not bleeding."

"Good. Officers are on their way-"

"Down here! This Way!" The heard the thundering of hooves. "Lieutenant Caine, are you OK! Officer Wolfe?"

"We are fine."

"Where's the suspect?"

"Over there," Horatio pointed with his gun. He had still not holstered it, just in case.

Frank burst into the room. "H? Wolfe? What the hell happened?"

"Frank, Borgia attacked Ryan and I shot him."

"I shot him too," Ryan added.

"What?"

"Well, what happened was-" Ryan began.

"Ryan, don't say anything else until you talk to your union rep. I will do the same. No offense Frank."

"No, you're right." More and more people were crowding into the room. Eric and Calleigh walked in, kits in hand.

"You all OK?" Eric asked.

"We are fine; and unhurt."

"So we can get started-"

"No," Horatio decided. "Because you are a member of my team, I don't want any accusations of suppressing evidence. We do this one by the book. Call in night shift."

Night shift arrived on the scene a half hour later, along with Stetler. He went straight for Ryan.

"Alright Wolfe, what do you have to say for-"

"Mr. Wolfe will not speak to you until he has spoken to his union rep," Horatio advised him. "And neither will I."

"Actually," Rick smirked, "Your investigation will not be handled by IAB, since you are currently on suspension."

Everyone froze. An investigation by the brass is one thing, but to be handled like a normal criminal investigation was quite another, and ten times worse.

Horatio shrugged. "So be it."

"Uh Lieutenant Caine, we need to get started," Walter Simmons, one of the night shift CSI's said.

"Of course, everyone except Mr. Wolfe, myself, and the CSI's here to process the case please leave the room." The room cleared in seconds. The night shift supervisor, Sergeant Fields, glared at Horatio, resenting the respect and authority the he commanded from everyone.

"Actually Horatio, you need to leave too," Fields said.

"That's not going to happen."

"Look here-"

"I am a part of this crime scene as well," Horatio reminded him. "You will process Mr. Wolfe and myself, and then we will leave. You will receive statements by morning."

Fields sighed and clenched his jaw. Of course Horatio was right.

"Also," Horatio spoke up again. "There was an incident in the bar that is connected to this case. Someone from your team needs to process that and get statements as well."

"We are already on it Horatio," Fields growled. "Smith and Owens are down there now."

"Good."

The M.E. walked in. Horatio would have preferred Alexx but there was no way that was going to happen, she was a part of his team. But he had talked with Dr. Loman, and he was amicable enough. He bent down and studied the body.

"Looks like you got him four times. One in the chest, one in the shoulder, one in the arm, and one right between the eyes. And let's not forget the glass fragments in his head."

"Overkill, wouldn't you say?" Fields sneered.

"Sergeant Fields, the evidence will tell you all that you need to know," Horatio countered.

"Looks like he was shot with two different guns," Loman said, leaning closer. "The ones in his arm and shoulder are definitely a smaller caliber than the other two."

"I have shells from both a .38 and a 9mm," Walter confirmed.

Fields turned and glared at him. "You both shot at him?"

"We did," Horatio said.

"What the hell-"

"Uh sir, by looking at Officer Wolfe's bruising I would say that there was a struggle and Wolfe fired two shots, first, then Lieutenant Caine intervened and fired the other two. During the struggle Officer Wolfe must have hit him with the lamp over his head."

"You're jumping to conclusions Walter!" Fields snapped.

"More like drawing conclusions; which is what a good CSI does. Excellent work, Mr. Simmons," Horatio complimented.

"Thank you sir," Walter said gratefully.

"Enough! Caine, Wolfe, get the hell out of here!" Fields barked. Apparently he didn't take too kindly to being one upped by his arrogant, egotistical, colleague.

When they got outside, Ryan started to speak. "Horatio, I-"

"Ryan, we will talk about it later. Right now you are coming home, with me."

"Ok H. Let's go home."

Later, Horatio and Ryan sat down for a heart to heart.

"Ryan, let me start off by apologizing for going about things the way that I did. I do not think that you are helpless and cannot take care of yourself. I should have told you, but I didn't want to worry you. But one thing that I won't apologize for is protecting you Ryan. I love you and I cannot lose you. I warned that asshole to stay away from you, and he didn't so I made good on my promise. I do not regret my actions and I will tell anyone, including a judge and jury, that if given the chance I would do nothing differently."

"But H," Ryan protested softly. "What if they try to put you in jail?"

"Ryan, they _will_ try to put me there. But keeping me there is another story. I need to give you something. Come with me." Horatio led Ryan to his home office. He slid out a wall panel and opened a safe. "This safe is opened with a biometric lock. No one, other than me, has ever had access to it. I am going to give you access now."

"H, are you sure?" Ryan asked, not quite sure when Horatio put this level of trust in him.

"Of course I'm sure. Now place your hand here." Ryan did as he was requested, and Horatio created a new profile for him. After he opened it he saw several pieces of antique jewelry, a large envelope that he could only assume contained a large amount of cash, and lots of papers, stacked neatly. Horatio flipped through the papers until he found what he was looking for.

"Ryan," he said. "This is the account number for one of my offshore accounts…no wait Ryan," he said when Ryan attempted to protest. "If I am arrested, you will need to transfer funds to one of my local accounts to post bail. Also, when I retain an attorney-"

"Wait, wait, wait; H, this is too much to process." Ryan rubbed his temples. It was all happening so fast. Horatio giving him access to his safe? His bank accounts? Did he really trust him that much?

"Ryan, I know this is a lot. But events will be moving very quickly. I had planned on giving you access to this information, but at a later time. Can I count on you to take care of things?"

Ryan leaned in and kissed him. "H, yes of course I will."

"Good. Now let's go wash the residue of this animal off of us and head to bed. It's probably the last good night's sleep we will have for a long time."


	9. Chapter 9

After their shower, Ryan and Horatio settled in bed together.

"So things are about to get crazy aren't they H?" Ryan asked.

"Indeed. Between the press, the investigation, and the possible trial we will hardly be left alone. I know you didn't want our relationship public and neither did I; but it is going to be impossible to keep quiet now, but you do not have to confirm that to the press, only in court or in an investigation under oath."

Ryan sighed. "OK. I guess it is worth it since Lenny is out of our lives. I am not sorry that he's dead."

Horatio agreed. "Neither am I, but he will not be completely gone until after the trial, if there is one."

Ryan stretched. "Well enough talk about that. We can deal with that tomorrow. I, for one, want to enjoy my night." Horatio thought that meant that they would cuddle and go to sleep together, but that was far from Ryan's mind. He straddled Horatio and kissed him hungrily. "It's been far too long since I tasted you," Ryan murmured in between kisses. Horatio reached behind to cup and squeeze Ryan sweet ass, which he had been craving since he first laid eyes on it. Ryan moaned, his ass was very sensitive. He responded by grounding his hardened cock into Horatio's and thrusting his tongue into Horatio's mouth.

"Ryan…" Horatio moaned as his lover attacked him with his mouth. Ryan seemed to be everywhere at once; his ear, his neck, and his chest. "God…Ryan…" Horatio whispered as Ryan licked and teased his nipples with his tongue, and braced himself as Ryan kissed a trail further and further south while sliding his boxers down his thighs.

Ryan teased and licked the head, reveling in the reaction from Horatio as he dipped his tongue into the slit. Horatio thought he heard him mutter 'my lollipop' and he took the entire head in his mouth and sucked. His breath caught in his throat and all he could do is watch and gasp as Ryan teased and licked his cock with his mouth and tongue. Christ, he was so good at this. Horatio ran his fingers through Ryan's hair, which had grown quite long and fell into his eyes now, but he didn't push Ryan's head down. Horatio knew he was of formidable girth and didn't want to gag him, but to his amazement a deep throat was exactly what Ryan had in mind. He watched in awe as Ryan relaxed his throat muscles and slowly, inch by inch, took Horatio's entire length into his mouth. When Ryan hummed and vibrated his throat muscles it was all over; Horatio gripped Ryan's hair, arched his hips up, and pumped his entire load into the back of Ryan's throat.

"You liked that didn't you?" Ryan teased.

"Perhaps," Horatio played along as he pulled Ryan in for a deep kiss.

"Perhaps my ass," Ryan snorted.

"Speaking of which," Horatio said as he turned Ryan around. "Turn around and bend over so I can get a look at that pretty ass of yours."

"That's it," Horatio murmured while massaging each of Ryan's cheeks in slow circles.

"God Ryan," Horatio muttered. "You're so fucking sexy."

"I am?" Ryan asked. "Show me."

Horatio attacked Ryan's mouth with his tongue, kissing him so passionately that he was left breathless. He moved to Ryan's ear, alternating between singing his devotion and teasing the outer edge with his tongue, which drove Ryan into a frenzy.

"Horatio…" Ryan squealed as he struggled to twist away.

"Going somewhere?" Horatio muttered as he pulled Ryan's shirt over his head and took of Ryan's nipples in his mouth; licking on it and nipping gently, teasing it until it was as hard as a pebble.

"Oh god!" Ryan exclaimed and Horatio moved back and forth between each nipple, leaving the other jealous and begging for attention. He twisted the other in his hand listening to Ryan's whimpering and moaning with satisfaction. Ryan tugged impatiently at Horatio's shirt, finally managing to get it unbuttoned. He slid Horatio's pants off. Horatio surrendered to Ryan's urgency and relieved Ryan of the rest of his clothes. They took a moment to enjoy each other's bodies; Ryan was completely naked and Horatio wearing nothing but a blue silk pajama shirt that was unbuttoned, revealing his physique which was still to be envied at his age. Ryan arched up, desperate to make contact with Horatio's magnificent centerpiece.

"Aren't we anxious tonight," Horatio commented.

"Horatio, please…" Ryan begged, still desperately seeking Horatio's touch.

"Please what love? Tell me what you want me to do."

"Touch me. Touch me please. I need your touch. Please?" Ryan begged.

"You sound as if you need me," Horatio answered.

"I do need you Horatio. Please, please, don't do this to me." He attempted to sit up but Horatio held him down firmly by his arms. Ryan was panting and flushed with urgency. Horatio couldn't hold back anymore. He reached for his favorite lube, which he used when he was most desperate for Ryan's touch and he thought he would never receive it. He poured a generous amount on his hands and slicked both his and Ryan's cock with it. Ryan moaned in satisfaction.

"Ahhhh Horatio, mmmmmm. Yes, that's it. Right there…" Ryan breathed as he finally achieved some satisfaction.

"You like that Ryan? Is this what you wanted; for me to touch you?"

"Yes, Horatio. Ah, yes. God, I need it. Don't stop." Ryan was thrusting his hips to meet Horatio's strokes with his hand.

"That feels good doesn't it? How about this?" Horatio leaned in so that their cocks touched each other and began moving his hips back and forth against Ryan.

"Oh H, oh my god! Don't stop!" He pulled Horatio closer to him. As they ground and rubbed together, Horatio found that he could not keep the groans from escaping his lips, especially when Ryan started whispering naughty fantasies in his ear.

"Horatio," Ryan panted. "I can't wait until you take me. I want you to stick that long, juicy dick in my ass; you want that too, don't you? I know you do. Take me Horatio, take me right now!" Ryan ordered, pulling Horatio even closer to him.

"Ryan," Horatio panted, "I need to prep you…"

"No!" Ryan shouted. "I said now!"

"Ryan please, I don't want to hurt-"

"I said now!" Ryan screamed. "Fuck me Horatio! Fuck me right now!"

Horatio couldn't hold back any longer. He quickly put a condom and lubed the outside thoroughly; then positioned himself at Ryan's entrance and used all his patience and self control to enter him gently, with one smooth stroke, watching Ryan's face to make sure it wasn't too much. Ryan clenched his mouth tight and groaned a little. Horatio was about to pull out but Ryan reached out and grabbed his hips.

"No," he breathed. "Don't move; you feel so good inside me. Do I feel good to you Horatio?"

"Oh my god Ryan, yes; you're so hot…so hot and tight…" Ryan looked up at Horatio's face. His eyes were closed but his mouth was open. His head was thrown back and he was struggling to remain still until Ryan gave him permission to move. Ryan could feel him trembling.

Horatio could feel Ryan's hot tightness sliding up and down his cock slowly. He tried to stop the moans from escaping his lips, but he could not.

"Horatio?"

"Yes love…what is it?"

"Make love to me, Horatio; move with me."

They began their slow dance that night; Horatio moved slowly, rotating his hips in a gentle rocking and circular motion. Ryan matched his moves and encircled Horatio with his legs. They took their time with each other, pouring out years of pent up feelings into their first time that night. They kissed, touched, caressed and explored each other's bodies. As the reached their climax together, both men came to the same conclusion-now that they finally had their heart's desire nothing would come between them.


	10. Chapter 10

The phones started ringing promptly at eight. Rick calling Ryan, demanding that he make a statement and Walter calling Horatio, telling him that it was urgent that they talk. Horatio had managed to get a note to Walter that said 'keep me posted'. They dressed, had breakfast and talked. At the door as they prepared to leave, Horatio asked Ryan "Are you ready?"

Ryan nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. But Ryan," Horatio paused.

"Yes? What is it?"

"It occurred to me that we should take separate cars. Are you up to driving?"

"Yeah H, I can drive. But Calleigh said that I couldn't get my keys-"

"Ryan I'm don't want this to upset you but I've had your keys this whole time. I didn't want him driving your car around."

Instead of being angry, Ryan was relieved. "Thanks, that was good thinking."

On the way, Horatio discussed his plans. "I have decided on an attorney."

"Oh?"Ryan asked. "Who?" He was totally surprised by the name. "Him?" Ryan asked. "Why?"

"Because he's good Ryan, we have to admit that. And…he owes me, and told me to come to him if I needed anything."

Ryan chuckled. "I don't suppose he would do it pro bono would he?"

Horatio laughed. "I think not. His retainer is $30,000 and that's the discounted rate."

Ryan's mouth dropped. "Thirty freaking thousand? Are you kidding me?"

"No jest, Ryan. Actually that's mid priced for a high profile trial lawyer. Borgia's lawyer got $100,000 for settling with the department."

"Hmphf," Ryan mumbled.

They arrived at Ryan's house, and he got in his car. It felt good to be driving again after over a month. He finally felt like he was gaining some of his independence back.

When he arrived at the station, there was already of swarm press there.

"CSI Wolfe, is it true that Lenny Borgia was your lover?"

"CSI Wolfe, is it true that Lieutenant Horatio Caine shot him to protect you?"

"CSI Wolfe, is it true that Lieutenant Caine threatened to kill Borgia?

"Are you and Lieutenant Caine lovers?"

Ryan walked past them into the station where Rick was waiting for him. He spoke to his union rep first, who advised him to cooperate fully and not to lie, but he could refuse to answer some of the questions, but not all.

"Ok, let's get started," Rick said, turning the camera on.

"State your name and rank for the record please."

"Ryan Wolfe, CSI level three."

"And how long have you held this position?"

"I have been a level three for one year." I pause, remembering not to answer a question that I wasn't asked.

"And how long have you worked with Lieutenant Caine?"

"This will be my fourth year under his command."

"Do you have a personal relationship with Lieutenant Caine?"

"I will not answer that." I though Rick might press the issue, but he didn't.

"I see. Is it true that you had a past association with Leonardo Borgia, who was shot last night?"

"Yes."

"What was the status of that relationship?"

"We…dated for almost a year."

"I see. And at any time did he threaten to harm you?"

"Yes."

"At any time, did he physically attack you?"

Ryan paused. This is humiliating. "Yes."

"Was Mr. Borgia arrested by CSI Eric Delko for assaulting him, and yourself?"

"Yes, on March 7th."

"Did you sustain serious injuries from that incident?"

The interview went on and on, Ryan declining to answer some of the questions, Rick never pressing for answers like he normally does. Finally the meat of the interview takes place.

"According to a preliminary report, Mr. Borgia violated the order of protection by following you to a hotel."

"Yes."

"And what happened next?"

"He stole a key to my room and attacked me again."

"Did you fire your weapon?"

"Yes, in self defense."

"How many times and where did you hit him?"

"I fired twice and hit him in the shoulder and the arm."

"Did he continue to attack, even after you shot him?"

"Yes."

"What happened next?"

"I hit him in the head with a lamp, and he told me he was going to kill me, and then Lieutenant Caine intervened."

"I see. Thank you, CSI Wolfe. That will be all. Do you have any questions for me?"

"Yes. What's going to happen next?"

"Well, the I.A.B. will decide whether the shooting was justified or not, and whether you can return to regular duties."

"How long will that take?"

"The time is indeterminate." Ryan sighed. He left with his union rep.

"What's going to happen now?" Ryan asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure," my union rep answered, rubbing his chin. "I've done over a hundred interviews with Stetler, and I've never seen him so…humane."

"Tell me about it," Ryan agreed. "He's fired me and threatened to lock me up over this stolen diamonds nonsense."

"Speaking of which, we need to talk about-"

The door opens and Rick motions for them to step back into the room. Ryan didn't know what to think. It was either very good news or very bad news. He was preparing for the latter.

"You're cleared for regular duty," Rick announced.

Both Ryan and the union rep eye him suspiciously. "What? So soon?"

"Yes. You shot him in self defense. He violated a court order and attacked you. Nothing else to say."

"Wait, what? What the hell are you up to? Since when did you develop a heart?" Ryan asked.

"Do you want me to put you on suspension? Because I can…"

"Nope, never mind." Ryan grabs the papers that clear him and bolts from the room. His union rep leaves as well.

"Just a minute Wolfe," Rick barks in the voice that Ryan is so familiar with.

Ryan sighed. _I knew it,_ Ryan thought.He turned around and storms back into the room.

"I knew you were up to something!" Ryan yelled. "I knew it was too good to be true! You're going to suspend me aren't you? You were just waiting for my union rep to leave-"

"Calm down, would you?" He leans in. "Look, tell Horatio that they are going to put Nevins on the case, so be prepared," he whispered.

Ryan glares at him. "What? Why are you helping us? You have made it your goal to try to ruin all of us!"

"Wolfe, don't be so dramatic. Your team doesn't exactly have a record of following procedure. When you violate procedure, I investigate, it's nothing personal."

"Yeah, right."

"Well, let's see Ryan. Over the years I have had to investigate you all for buying marijuana, gambling, fleeing with a suspect, losing evidence, possessing stolen evidence-"

"I told you I didn't steal those diamonds!"

"Look, I know that, but all evidence pointed to you."

"Pointed?"

"Yes," Rick pulled out another paper. "This clears you from the stolen diamonds case. We found the culprit."

"Who was it?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss it."

Ryan was still suspicious. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but…" Ryan shook his head.

"Well don't expect to see this treatment all the time. You people are my biggest headache, especially that red-headed menace of a Lieutenant."

"Then why don't you send someone else?" Ryan asked.

"Because no one else is willing to go a round with Horatio," Rick snorted. "They're all scared. I'm used to his snarling."

"Snarling? He's not a pit bull, Rick."

"Whatever you say. Now get outta here, I have work to do. And slam the door on your way out. I got a reputation to keep."

Ryan leaves and does as instructed. Rick snatches open the door. "And don't forget to tell your former boss what said!" he barks.

"Why don't you tell me yourself?' Horatio has just appeared out of nowhere.

"What are you doing here?" Rick demands. "You're suspended. Get out of the building, now!" Then Rick slams the door.

Outside, Ryan and Horatio talk. "I'll never figure that guy out," Ryan said, shaking his head.

"Rick is a complicated man," Horatio agreed.

"He cleared me of the shooting and cut me a break on the diamond thing. He said they had their guy."

"So I heard. What did he want you to tell me?"

"Oh yeah, Rebacca Nevins is going to try the case."

Horatio frowns. "I figured as much."

"What's up between you two anyway?"

"I'll tell you later, I promise. They're moving fast on this. I suspect they will indict very soon. Especially if Rebecca is-"

"Lieutenant Caine! Lieutenant Caine! Is it true that you will be charged with the murder of Leonardo Borgia?" Erica Sykes demands, sticking a microphone in his face.

"Lieutenant Caine will not be answering any questions," Derek Powell answers, appearing out of nowhere.

"Mr. Powell? Will you be representing Lieutenant Caine in this matter?"

"Yes," he replies. "I will."

**A/N: I have taken some liberties here. 1) Walter is in here. 2) The stolen diamonds incident happened already (Rick wasn't involved) and 3) Derek Powell (P. Diddy) is Horatio's attorney. Can you see where this is going?**


	11. Chapter 11

"Mr. Powell? Will Lieutenant Caine be charged with the murder of Leonardo Borgia?"

"That will be up the District Attorney," Derrick comments. "No further questions at this time." He turns to Horatio and whispers "My office. One hour."

Horatio nods and leaves. Ryan follows him.

_Earlier, while Ryan met with Rick._

"Walter," Horatio greeted the night shift CSI. "Thank you for meeting me." They were in a locker room in the basement, with Eric keeping watch at the door.

"My pleasure sir; but if Fields found out…"

"I don't want you to worry about Fields. I will take care of it."

"Yes sir."

"What do you have for me?"

Walter pulled out a paper. "It's a copy of the ME's report. He worked on it all night."

"I see," Horatio said, eyeing the report. He took out his reading glasses, something he never did except when he was alone, but the lighting in this locker room wasn't the best and he didn't want to miss a detail. "So Dr. Loman found steroids in Borgia's system."

"Yes sir; prolonged use, for a year at least, maybe two. It may explain some of his violent behavior."

"You are correct. Anything else?"

"Yes sir. I saw Fields talking with Rebecca Nevins and Josh Avery. Word is, no other A.S.A. in their right mind will touch the case, let along go twelve rounds with you and your attorney, whomever you retain is bound to be good."

"I see. Thank you very much Walter. I will not forget this."

"Oh, and one more thing; we found GHB in that drink that the waitress tried to give Ryan. Hope that helps."

"It does." Horatio handed him a disposable cell phone. " And if you need to contact me, call the contact in this phone called 'Steve'. Ryan is 'Anthony', Eric is 'George', and you are 'James'. But always call _me _first. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Walter said.

Eric stuck his head in. "Someone's coming," he whispered. "It's Fields!"

Horatio hurried out the back entrance and Walter dashed to his locker and started rummaging around. Eric headed to the bathrooms.

"What are you doing down here?" Fields demanded. " I've been looking all over for you!"

"Sorry sir; forgot my iPod." Walter pulled the iPod out. "Here it is!"

Fields went around checking in the bathroom. When he saw no one, he headed back towards Walter.

"Nevins is going to take the case. She was going to call you to testify, but after I told her that your head was so far up Horatio's ass last night she changed her mind. Owens and I are going to testify. And you need to remember who's team you are on," Fields warned before marching out of the locker room.

Walter took out his drop phone and sent Horatio a text. Eric came around the corner. "Did you hear that?" Walter asked him.

"Some of it. What did he say?"

"He said that Nevins is going to try the case, and that he and Samantha Owens are going to testify. He won't let me."

"Did you tell H?"

"Yeah, just sent him the text, 'George'," Walter mouthed the last part.

Eric snorted. "Very funny."

_Later_

Ryan and Horatio sat down on a bench in a public park.

"Ryan, I want you to know everything I know. I trust you."

"OK, H."

"Rebecca and I have past association. About four years ago, she asked me out on a date. I declined, but she was persistent. It got to the point where she came to my house and tried to convince me, actually undressing and tried to grab my…" Horatio paused, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's ok H, I'm sure I know what you're talking about."

"Thank you Ryan. Anyway, I pushed her hands away, and demanded that she get dressed and leave. She accused me of being gay, which I am, but she didn't know that and assumed that I must be if I wasn't attracted to her. She swore that she would ruin me. I told her that she didn't know who she was dealing with and that she should walk away and I would forget the whole thing. But I fear that she may use this trial to exact her revenge."

"Can't Powell get her recused?" Ryan asked.

Horatio nodded. "He could, but then I would have to tell him everything that I told you and it will be her word against mine, and I don't want it to get out. She wants this case badly so that she can nail me, but that's not going to happen. Also," Horatio paused. "I found out that Lenny has been on steroids for at least a year. Did you know that, Ryan?"

Ryan shook his head. "I suspected, but didn't have any proof. I was going to do a test but the thought of collecting a sample made my skin crawl."

Horatio nodded in agreement. Ryan felt a vibration on the bench. "What's that?" he asked.

"My other cell phone. Wait Ryan you have one too," Horatio assured him before he could interrupt. "Lean forward and over to the right." Ryan did as he was instructed. Horatio whipped the cell phone out and checked the message, then slid the phone back into his pocket.

"It's from Walter. Fields and Samantha Owens are going to testify. Apparently Fields thinks that Walter may be biased."

"But Powell could subpoena Walter," Ryan said.

Horatio shook his head. "That would just prove Field's point and I don't want the lab split like that. Powell can cover anything that Fields and Owens 'forget' to mention during his cross examination."

"Looks like you have your strategy all worked out," Ryan commented.

"I've been to court a few times. I have to go meet with Powell now," Horatio said after checking his watch. "By the way, did you spot who was taking pictures of us?"

"Yeah I see him," Ryan said. "Just like I saw the grey sedan that followed me over here."

"Very good Ryan," Horatio complimented. "We will be followed until after this trial. Go back to the lab. You will find your cell phone in your locker. Eric will tell you the code names."

"Ok," Ryan sighed deeply. Horatio put his hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"Ryan, we're going to get through this."

Ryan headed back to the lab, where he was met on the steps by one of Nevins's lackeys holding a folded up document.

"What do you want?" Ryan demanded with fear and anxiety rising in his gut .

"You've been served," was all they guy said.

Ryan opened the paper. It was just as he feared; a subpoena from the prosecution. They wanted Ryan to testify against Horatio.

**Refresher: Sergeant Fields is the night shift CSI supervisor. **

**Derrick Powell is a high profile defense attorney that went toe to toe with Horatio. He was played by P Diddy. **

**This chapter is dedicated to luvbillyjoel for her diligence and patience. But I appreciate all my readers and reviewers.**


	12. Chapter 12

Ryan marched straight to Nevins's office, kicked open the door and threw the subpoena on her desk.

"Ryan," she said sweetly. "I see you got my-"

"What the hell kind of game are you playing Rebecca?" The young CSI demanded. "There's no way in hell that I'm testifying against Horatio!"

"You will if I say you will!" Rebecca shot back. "And that goes ditto you're your friend Eric!"

"Listen you little…" he stopped himself just in time, biting back the insult that itched to roll off of his lips.

"What was that?" Rebecca smirked.

"I'm not testifying," Ryan insisted.

"Oh yes you are," Rebecca said. "That is a court order. If you don't, you'll go to jail for contempt."

"What's your purpose here?" Ryan asked. "Do you really have that big of a grudge against Horatio that you want to put him in jail?"

"It's nothing personal," Rebecca answered. "Horatio broke the law, and now he has to pay for it."

Ryan leaned in so that only she could hear him. "My ass it's not personal," Ryan retorted. "This vindictive plan of yours won't work. You'll never be able to nail him, even with my testimony, which you won't get. Your record against Derrick Powell is abysmal; combine that with Horatio and you can't win. By the time they're finished with you, you'll be handling tickets in traffic court."

Rebecca paled slightly, then delivered a comeback. "Is that right? You think I don't know where you've been this past month? Or what you two have been doing? I know you two have been screwing. And by the time I'm finished with your boyfriend, he'll go from Miami's most heroic cop to Miami's biggest _fag_ faster than a jury can say 'guilty'!"

"You vindictive bitch," Ryan growled through clenched teeth. "You think I don't know about you? I know all about how you tried to get in Horatio's pants, but he didn't want you and you threw a tantrum. Now, drop the subpoena against me and Eric or I'll tell everyone about it on the stand, and the judge will declare a mistrial, and your career will go down the toilet!"

"Are you _blackmailing _me?" Rebecca accused.

"No more than you tried to blackmail me by threatening to ruin Horatio's reputation," Ryan answered. "Now cancel these subpoenas, or I will become the most hostile witness that you have ever had to deal with. Don't fuck with me lady. You have _no_ idea what I'm capable of."

"_Get out,_" Rebecca hissed. "And I will see you in court."

"Go screw yourself," Ryan spat.

"Oh and one more thing," Rebecca got a most sinister glint in her eye. "You are _not_ allowed to have _any_ contact with the defendant or his lawyer. And if you do, I will have your badge. And you can pass that along to Delko as well."

"You know what," Ryan said, coming close so he could whisper again. "After H wins this trial, we're going to celebrate by _fucking_ all night. See you on the stand, bitch. And get some new batteries for that vibrator, it will help with the stress."

"Fuck you!" She shrieked, her face as white as a sheet.

"Now that wasn't very ladylike, now was it? No wonder H didn't want you," he couldn't resist getting in as he strode out of her office.

Ryan made his way back to the lab where he found Eric pacing in the locker room with the subpoena in shreds on the floor.

"If she thinks I'm going to testify against H, then she's got another thing coming-"

"Eric, let's talk to H about it and see what he says." Ryan opened his locker. "And what's this phone I keep hearing about? Oh, here it is. So what's up with the code names?"

Eric was explaining it to him when Ryan got a call from Rick. "Yeah?"

"Ryan?"

"What's up?"

"I don't know what you said to Nevins, but she issued the warrant for Horatio's arrest. They're on their way to Powell's office right now. Tell-"

"Shit!" Ryan exclaimed. "Gotta go, I'll call you back!"

Horatio sat in Derrick's office, working on their plan when he got a call from Ryan's drop phone.

"Ryan what is it?"

"H! They're on their way to Powell's to arrest you!"

"I see. Who told you this?" Horatio asked. At the same time, one of Derrick's assistants came to the door with an urgent message.

"Rick told me. Look H, Nevins subpoenaed me and Eric to testify against you. I told her to go to hell-"

"Ryan, a subpoena is a court order. You must abide by it, especially since you are an officer of the law."

"But H-"

"No buts Ryan. I'm talking to you as your boss now, not your boyfriend. You and Eric will testify and tell the truth. That's an order. Understood?"

"Yes Horatio, I understand."

"Was there anything else?"

"Yeah, she said that we couldn't have any contact and that she would throw me in jail if I did."

"You must have really pissed her off. What did you say to her?"

"Well things got pretty heated."

" What did you say to her?" Horatio asked again.

"Well I would tell you but Eric is standing right here."

"Understood. Ryan, I need you to make the transfer we talked about. Three hundred thousand."

"OK H. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to turn myself in."

"No! H! You can't!"

"I can and I will, Ryan. Rebecca means to humiliate me by making my arrest front page news. I fully intend to beat her at her own game."

"I told her she had no chance in hell against you and Powell."

"You are correct Ryan. Now make the transfer, and I will see you later."

"But I thought-"

"I have already prepared for Rebecca trying to keep us apart. But I understand if you don't want to take the risk-"

"No H, I want to see you."

"OK. You will get a text on the drop phone with instructions later. Now make the transfer ok?"

"Right."

"Good. See you later."

"Bye H."

Horatio hung up the phone. Derrick was watching him.

"Wow," he commented. "I wish I could get my fiancée to listen to me like that."

Horatio smiled sideways and chuckled to hide his blush.

"Ready to turn yourself in?" Derrick asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be."


	13. Chapter 13

"In breaking news, Lieutenant Horatio Caine has turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest for the murder of Leonardo Borgia…"

Ryan turned the channel.

"…Sources say that Caine shot Borgia in defense of his alleged lover, Ryan Wolfe-"

Ryan turned the channel again.

"…Assistant State Attorney Rebecca Nevins will prosecute the case."

Another channel.

"…police officers refused to book him and take his photo."

"Damnit!" Ryan exclaimed. "It's on every channel! This is my fault! I could have stopped Lenny-"

Calleigh tried to comfort Ryan. "Ryan, Lenny was a crazed animal doped up on steroids. He tried to poison you and then abduct you and kill you-"

"Abduct me? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, the police report from the search warrant was released. They found duct tape and rope in the trunk of his car."

Ryan went pale. "He really was going to kill me."

"Yes, and now he's dead. Let H handle this. His lawyer will get him acquitted. Especially since he's not guilty of murder," Eric told him.

_**In arraignment court**_

"Your honor, we have the people of the State of Florida versus Horatio Caine. The charge is murder in the second degree," the clerk of court read out.

If the judge was shocked, he didn't show it. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Horatio said.

"Plea of not guilty entered. The people on bail?"

"Your honor," Rebecca started. "The defended brutally murdered an unarmed man in cold blood-"

"Who attacked one of his officers, and continued to attack once he was shot," Derek Powell interjected.

"He was unarmed-"

"He was under the influence of-"

The judge banged his gavel. "Counselors, save these arguments for the trial. Ms Nevins, bail please."

"The people request that the defendant be remanded sir. He has international connections and is obviously dangerous-"

"Your honor, my client is a decorated police officer." Derek insisted. "He fully intends to fight these charges and clear his good name. He has served the people of Miami bravely, risking his life for fifteen years-"

"Point taken, Mr. Powell. Bail is set at one hundred thousand, and the defendant must surrender his passport. Next!" The judge cut Rebecca off before she could protest further.

"We will post immediately," Derek said.

Horatio, Derek, and Rebecca exited the court room, amid the swarming press. Rebecca walked over to Horatio and Derek with a paper. "This," she said, "is a motion to make sure the defendant and counsel stay at least 300 yards away from any witness for the prosecution. It also forbids contact by phone email or any other means until after the trial. Ryan can come and visit you in prison," Rebecca smirked.

"Is that the best you can do?" Horatio asked her, shaking his head.

"I would wipe that smirk off your face if I were you," Rebecca warned.

"This is a motion to dismiss all of that nonsense you just gave me," Derek said, handing her a paper just like the one she handed him.

"See you in chambers," Rebecca snapped as she marched off.

After posting bail, the judge called Horatio, Rebecca, and Derek to his chambers to listen to the motions. The judge ruled in Rebecca's favor, just as Horatio and Derek expected.

On the elevator Derek spoke to his client. "As your attorney, if I find out that you violated this court order I would have to report it," Derek told him.

"Understood. Thank you, Mr. Powell. Your retainer should be in your account."

"A client who pays on time, I like that. Jury selection starts tomorrow. Will you be there?"

"I will."

"Meet me at my office at seven and we can travel there together."

"Will do." The elevator reached the main floor, and they got off, shook hands and went their separate ways.

Since Ryan wasn't allowed to stay at Horatio's and he couldn't go back to his apartment, Eric let him crash on his couch.

"Eric, I appreciate everything," Ryan said and they climbed the steps to his fifth floor apartment.

"No problem Ryan. " Eric opened his door with the key and saw Horatio sitting in the corner of the room.

"I think I'll go out for some Chinese," Eric said. "Ryan, you want anything?"

"Nah," Ryan said. As soon as the door closed he ran to his boyfriend. "H!" Ryan exclaimed threw his arms around Horatio. "Are you ok?"

"Ryan I'm fi- mphf…" Ryan cut him off with a deep kiss.

"H, I don't want to testify against you."

"I know you don't Ryan. But I want you to do it anyway. And don't take it personally when Derek cross examines you.

"I won't," Ryan promises. "I wish I could sleep with you every night. How long do you think this will last?"

"I don't know Ryan; the two longest parts of a trial and jury selection and deliberation. It could be anywhere from a week to a month."

"A month!" Ryan exclaimed.

"Shhh, keep your voice down, love. We will get through this. It will take more than love though. It will take patience, something that you can be lacking in sometimes," Horatio said, looking at him sideways.

"I know H."

"And you must control your temper as well. Don't let Rebecca or anyone else rattle you. Promise me Ryan."

"I promise, H."

"And thank you for transferring the funds for me Ryan. I know I could count on you. We are a partnership Ryan. Remember that."

"I will. You want to know what I told Rebecca?" Ryan whispered in Horatio's ear.

"What did you tell her?"

"Well H," Ryan leaned in even more so that his warm breath blew in Horatio's ear. "I told her that we were going to celebrate your victory by _fucking _all night," he said, sliding his hand down inside Horatio's pants.

"No wonder she went ballistic," Horatio commented. "Which is true by the way. The first thing I will want is a kiss from you and some of that sweet ass of yours," Horatio said, gripping Ryan's backside and pulling him in for a kiss, inciting Ryan's lust.

"Ryan," Horatio panted as Ryan unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. "What if Eric comes back?"

"He's a guy. He'll call first," Ryan decided as he sank down to his knees.

**I modeled the arraignment bit after my second favorite crime series, **_**Law&Order. **_**Hope you liked it!**

**Correction: In previous chapters Derek Powell's name was spelled incorrectly. From now on, it will be spelled Derek, as officially listed.**


	14. Chapter 14

Jury selection took three days. The jury pool started with 150 potential candidates, since this was a high profile trial. Rebecca rebutted almost every potential juror that Derek selected. Derek closely questioned jurors and rebutted only three of Rebecca's choices. They finally finished Friday afternoon, giving the attorneys the weekend to prepare. The judge issued a gag order, and closed the trial to the press and anyone who wasn't directly involved. It was Friday, and both Horatio and Ryan felt that this would be the longest weekend of their life.

"So are you going to tell H or not?" Eric asked Ryan, who was pacing back and forth in Eric's apartment.

"No, and don't you say anything either," Ryan warned.

"Ryan, he's gonna find out. C'mon we're dealing with H here."

"Look Eric, just please…I need to figure out how I'm going to deal with this. " Ryan had been receiving anonymous harassment at work, mainly in the form of vandalism of his property. His locker had been spray painted several times with 'faggot' and 'Lenny's Bitch' on it. There were also crude drawings on it. All his clothes had been slashed and bleach poured on them, and his car's windows had been busted out and his tires slashed. He received at least a dozen text messages per day, promising retribution if Horatio was convicted because of him. Clearly, the department felt like they may lose their best man and that it was Ryan's fault. Horatio was never mentioned in unsigned notes, texts, and vandalism. Rick had called him in and closely questioned him to see if he knew who was responsible, but Ryan didn't and frankly he didn't want to know.

Rick walked up to Horatio in the lobby after jury selection was finished.

"Rick," Horatio greeted guardedly. He still wasn't sure of Rick's motives.

"I need a moment alone if you don't mind," Rick said, looking at Derek.

"I cannot advise that," Derek said. "Especially with you being from the department of Internal Affairs."

"Look Derek, it's not what you think; but it is very important."

"Fine," Horatio said. "Just a moment Derek."

He and Rick walked off a ways. "What is it Rick? What's so important?"

"Have you talked to Wolfe or Eric, or anyone on the team?"

Horatio glared at Rick. "You know I'm forbidden contact with them. Why would you-"

Rick waved his hands. "Never mind. Ryan's taking a lot of heat behind this whole trial thing."

Horatio narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"There's been some incidents."

"What kind of incidents Rick?" Horatio growled, losing his patience.

"Well apparently a lot of people hold Wolfe responsible for what is happening to you-"

"It's not his fault!" Horatio snapped.

"I know that. But that doesn't stop others from blaming him, Horatio. They've been vandalizing his locker, his car, and other stuff; writing pretty harsh stuff by the way. I think he's getting text messages too; and he may have been threatened."

Horatio turned away from Rick to calm himself down, and suppress his rage. He had talked to Ryan on the disposable phone twice this week since he turned himself in and Ryan didn't mention it? Why?

"Did you talk to Ryan about this?" Horatio asked.

"I did. And if he knows who it is, he isn't talking. But as soon as I find out, they're gone."

"I have your word on that?" Horatio faced his sometimes nemesis.

"You have my word. "

"Good. One more thing."

Rick turned. "What is it?"

"Why are you helping me?"

Rick sighed. "Horatio, you're every IAB agent's worst nightmare. A very good cop and invaluable asset to the department who somehow feels like the rules don't apply to him, or that the ends justify the means. When I come after you, it's not personal. You are a menace, and no one else in the bureau will deal with you. I took the promotion and new position with the S.W.A.T. team with the understanding that I would still have to investigate high profile cases when called upon, i.e. a certain red headed lieutenant and his team who frequently disregard departmental policy."

Horatio raised his eyebrows and took everything that Rick said in. "I see."

"Anyway," Rick said, changing the subject. "See if you can get Wolfe to cooperate."

Horatio didn't bother to remind him that he wasn't allowed to see Ryan.

Ryan could tell Horatio was upset with him as soon as he entered the apartment that Derek had arranged for Horatio during the trial.

"H-"

"Why did you tell me Ryan?" Horatio asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"Because I didn't want to upset you."

"Mission not accomplished," Horatio countered as he whirled around to face Ryan.

"Look H, you already have enough to deal with. I mean, with the trial and everything. I just didn't want to add more-"

"Ryan, you had to know I would find out. And I wish that would have been from you."

"H, you really don't get it do you?" Ryan asked. Horatio could hear the anguish in his voice.

Horatio took Ryan by the hand and led him to the couch. "No I don't," he answered softly. "So tell me."

Ryan took out his cell phone and pulled up the harassing texts that he had been getting. Horatio forced himself to remain calm as he read all the offending messages, most of them lewd and graphic, and many of them threatening Ryan if he was convicted.

"Ryan, I'm sorry this is happening to you. This is my fault-"

"And how the hell do you figure that H?" Ryan demanded. He was breathing rapidly and his face was flushed.

"Ryan, please calm down. If I had dealt with Lenny some other way-"

"H, there _was _no other way. I just wish it had been me instead of you who had to put him down."

"Ryan, it-"

"Look H, I don't want to fight about this ok? We have a big trial coming up after this weekend. I don't want you to be stressed or me for that matter. I'm sorry, I guess I should have told you, but I guess my pride got into the way. I didn't want to be seen running to my boyfriend because someone picked on me."

"That's perfectly understandable. But I want to you cooperate fully with Rick. He is going to get to the bottom of this."

"So _that's _who told you. What's his deal anyway? Why is he helping us so much?"

"He said he had his reasons," Horatio answered.

"Well that man will forever be an enigma to me. But I'll cooperate with him, to please you. "

"Good; because whoever is responsible will be seeking employment elsewhere, it is already decided between us."

Ryan sighed. More people taking the fall for _his _inaction. Not that he sympathized with whoever was responsible but still.

"Alright H, I'll cooperate with Rick. I don't want to fight about this anymore. I really need you to hold me right now."

"I need you to hold me too, Ryan."

**Next chapter, the trial begins! Thanks all you guys, especially luvbillyjoel, who waited patiently for an update and let me know my story was worth reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what we have here is a case of murder; and not self defense as the defense may claim. The victim was not only unarmed at the time, but had been nearly beaten to death previously by the defendant…"

Horatio listened silently to Rebecca rattle off her accusations and half-truths in her opening statement. Apparently, Rebecca had won her last minute motion to introduce the previous incident with Borgia into evidence, which was supposed to be sealed.

"…all in a desperate attempt to gain the affection of one of the members of his own team, and who was dating the victim. You will hear his testimony on how the defendant was jealous of the victim and wanted him all to himself. A love triangle, fatal attraction…"

Horatio turned and snuck a peak at Ryan, whose face was now flushed and burning with rage.

"…other members of the department will attest to his violent temper and frequent use of excessive force to get his way…"

Ah, so Rick was testifying as well. This would definitely be interesting. Rick had been helping him so far, but what would happen when they get him on the stand? Horatio's file had to be the thickest one in the department.

"…the victim had a restraining order against the defendant, which he violated to shoot the victim in cold blood once the victim and his boyfriend reunited…"

Ryan leapt out of his seat, but quickly sat down once the judge looked up and Eric yanked on his arm.

"…and I am confident that after you hear members of his own department, including his own team testify as to his frequent violations of policy and disregard for the law you will have no choice but to enter a plea of 'guilty'."

Horatio had to admit it was a hell of an opening statement. Derek got out of his seat and walked over to the jury.

" 'Protect and serve.' What does that mean? It's what Lieutenant Horatio Caine swore to do for the people of Miami fifteen years, seven months and twenty days ago when he was sworn in…"

Wow, had it really been that long? Well he had put in almost thirty years as a cop, if you combine that with his time with the NYPD.

"Do any of you have young children? Well you should thank Lt. Caine for putting over sixty child molesters behind bars. Women, Lt. Caine has kept over thirty rapists off the streets. And his team has the highest rate of solving homicide, greater than eighty percent…"

Well that _was _true, but it also had created for him a long list of enemies, both inside and outside of the department. He learned quickly that people actually didn't like it if you were too good at your job. But that had come at a price. His job had completely taken over his life, and most of the meaningful relationships he had revolved around people he worked with: Eric, Frank, Ryan…

_Ryan. _Yes, his beloved. He turned to sneak a peek at him again. He was doing better now that Derek was doing his opening, singing all of Horatio's praises but he knew this case was hard on him, he completely blamed himself for all of this. Horatio just wanted this trial to be over as quickly as possible so that they could move on with their lives. But to what? There were a lot of things the department didn't know yet, officially anyway, that were going to come out during this trial. One such bombshell was the fact that Horatio, a lieutenant, was consorting with a subordinate; which may have led to this whole incident to begin with. Yes, Horatio's troubles were far from over once this trial was done.

"…was forced to defend himself against a man with a history of assault on police officers, and long term steroid use; who paid a waitress to poison a police officer so that he could kidnap and murder him…"Derek continued his opening statement.

Ryan shuddered to think of where he might be if Horatio hadn't shot Lenny, probably six feet under or even worse, in some prison that Lenny had devised to torture him at his leisure. Yes, it was a good thing that he was dead, but his death was causing so many other problems…

"…and the city has repaid him by accusing him of murder after he defended himself and another officer; and took _another _ violent criminal off the street who was bold enough to take on three police officers at the same time. Who's to say he wouldn't have come after one of you?"

Oh boy, Derek was really piling it on. But it was necessary. And there was something else that had been bothering Ryan, in addition to the harassment, embarrassment, and stress of the trial. Horatio was his _boss_, and their relationship was strictly against MDPD policy. So now Horatio was not only in danger of losing his freedom because of Ryan, but may lose his job even if he did win the trial. Ryan couldn't let that happen. He had a plan. H wasn't going to like it, but he was going to have to deal with it.

"…based on these facts along with the testimony of those very same witnesses that Ms. Nevins has so graciously subpeoned and Lt. Caine himself there will be no doubt in your mind that the lieutenant had no choice, and therefore must be 'not guilty'. Thank you." Derek returned to his seat.

Finally, opening statements were done. "The prosecution may call its first witness," the judge said.

"Thank you. The people call Sergeant Maurice Fields." Horatio watched as Fields strode into the courtroom in full uniform, probably to emphasize that he was a cop, with rank, and wasn't one of Horatio's retainers. Horatio hadn't worn his uniform in almost two years, he only wore it for official functions, such as commendations and funerals.

"Sergeant Fields, could you state your name, rank, and position with the Miami-Dade police department?"

"Adam Maurice Fields, Sergeant, night shift supervisor for the Crime Scene Investigative unit."

"And what is the difference between your position and Lieutenant Caine's?"

Rebecca asked.

"Well currently Lt. Caine is on suspension-"

"Objection. This witness is not qualified to speak as to Lt. Caine's current employment status," Derek broke in.

"Sustained, witness will not speak as to the defendant's current status."

"Well we are both supervisors, he is in charge of the day shift, and I am in charge of the night shift."

"Thank you Sergeant Fields. Now according to your report, Mr. Borgia was shot four times, is that true?"

"Yes."

"Did Lieutenant Caine shoot him four times?"

"Objection," Derek intervened again.

"I'll rephrase," Rebecca said, rolling her eyes. "Was he shot four times with the same gun?"

"No he wasn't. He was shot twice with a .38 and twice with a 9 millimeter," Fields answered.

"Who is the .38 registered to?" Rebecca asked.

"It is registered as the backup weapon of CSI Ryan Wolfe with the police department," Fields answered.

"Did CSI Wolfe admit to shooting Mr .Borgia that night?" Rebecca expected an objection from Derek, but continued when she received none.

"That night he refused to answer any questions at the orders of Lieutenant Caine-"

"Objection," Derek intervened.

"Overruled," the judge answered.

"Like I was saying, both Officer Wolfe and Lieutenant Caine were uncooperative that night at the shooting."

"So you are saying that your own colleagues were hindering the investigation?"

"Well, not exactly," Fields hesitated.

"Sergeant Fields, you said it yourself. You asked them what happened and they refused to tell you, did you not?"

"Yes, but-"

"Let's move on, Sergeant Fields," Rebecca said quickly, not wanting of her star witnesses to lose their resolve. "You found a broken lamp and glass fragments in Mr. Borgia's head. Did the glass fragments come from the lamp?"

"Yes, according to Officer Wolfe's statement, he shot Mr. Borgia with the .38 and smashed the lamp over his head. Our investigation confirmed this."

"So what you are saying is that after the victim had already been shot and smashed in the head with a lamp he was shot again by Lieutenant Caine?"

"Yes, that is true," Fields answered, suddenly not comfortable with testifying against a colleague who had never done anything to him personally, except maybe bruise his ego.

"In your final report, you say that Lt. Caine did finally admit to shooting Mr. Borgia correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Thank you, Sergeant Fields. No further questions."

"Mr. Powell, your witness," the judge said. Fields swallowed hard. He had heard about this lawyer, and was not looking forward to being cross examined.

"Sergeant Fields, let's go over a few details you neglected to mention in your testimony," Derek said as he stood before him.

**A/N: Sorry about the delay, but expect another chapter very soon! Thanks for reviewing!**


	16. Chapter 16

"Sergeant Fields," Derek began. "According to you, Lt. Caine and CSI Wolfe refused to cooperate during your investigation."

Fields swallowed hard. "I didn't say that…"

"Oh but you did, Sergeant. Your exact words were 'both Officer Wolfe and Lieutenant Caine were uncooperative that night at the shooting.' Isn't that what you said?"

"Yes but…"

"As a police officer, who does an officer have to right to speak to first before answering any questions about a shooting?"

"Your union representative," Fields answered reluctantly.

"That's right. Now tell me what this is." Derek plopped two thick documents down in front of him.

"Statements from both Officer Wolfe and the Lieutenant."

"When did you receive these?"

"The next day."

"So what you're saying is that Lt. Caine and Officer Wolfe _did_ provide you with statements, very detailed statements in fact?"

"Yes," Fields growled. He should have known this would happen. One rarely wins a challenge against Horatio Caine.

"Moving on," Derek said. "Now you said that Mr. Borgia was unarmed, did you not?"

"Yes, he didn't have any weapons."

"But the toxicology report indicates prolonged use of steroids, isn't that true?"

"Yes, but that still-"

"How tall was Mr. Borgia?" Derek asked. Damn, Fields knew where this was headed.

"I don't know off the top of my head," Fields hedged.

"It's right here in the medical report. According to this he is six feet four inches correct?"

"Yes." Fields mumbled.

Derek signaled to an officer standing at the back of the court. "Your honor, I would like to indulge the court in a demonstration."

"Objection," Rebecca intervened.

"I'll allow it," the judge said.

"Now officer Davis," Derek addressed the tall officer. "How tall are you?"

"Six three and a half."

"Thank you. Lieutenant Caine, could you step forward please?"

Horatio stood up and walked over to Derek and the officer. "How tall are you Lieutenant?"

"About five eleven," Horatio answered.

"Thank you Lieutenant. And according to his record, CSI Wolfe is approximately five nine."

Ryan rolled his eyes. He knew he was short, he had dealt with it all his life. Derek signaled to another officer, around his height.

"Officer Smith, how tall are you?"

"Five nine and three quarters."

"Thank you."

"Ladies and gentlemen. If you look, this officer represents the alleged 'victim'. You see Lieutenant Caine and this officer standing in for CSI Wolfe. Do you see the difference?"

It was clear. The officer representing Lenny towered over Horatio and the stand in for Ryan. Damn, Derek was good.

"Also take into consideration that the alleged 'victim' was doped up on steroids and had no problems with assaulting officers, he had been arrested twice for assaulting two members of Lieutenant Caine's team, including attacking Lieutenant Caine where he was forced to defend himself. Tell me, what would you have done if this person attacked someone close to you and tried to kill them?"

"Objection-"Rebecca interjected.

"Withdrawn." Derek said. "Thank you officers."Derek looked to Fields. "Thank you Sergeant Fields. I have no further questions."

Rebecca's mouth was fixed in a hard line. The court erupted into loud whispers. The judge banged his gavel. "We are in recess until one pm."

Outside the courtroom, officers were chatting in an excited buzz.

"That height comparison was smart," Eric remarked. "I forgot about what a midget you are."

"Whatever," Ryan said, rolling his eyes. "Lenny was just an oversized, over muscled, thug."

They walked by a cluster of officers, who grew quiet as Ryan and Eric passed. Then one of them muttered something that sounded like 'little punk' under his breath and the crowd erupted in laughter. Eric had the officer up against the wall in a heartbeat.

"What did you just say?" Eric growled.

"What, you gonna kick my ass? I guess Wolfe has gotten so used to other people fighting for him that he can't even-"

Ryan broke through the crowd and moved Eric to the side. "Oh yeah? Why don't I show you how much I can fight?"

"You don't have the balls to hit me," the officer jeered.

Ryan was about to deliver the smart assed officer a left hook when Eric grabbed his arm. "Wolfe, let's just get out of here."

Ryan was burning with rage, but not so much that he couldn't see reason. "Fine." They walked off, hearing a slew of vulgar terms as they left.

As they left the building, Ryan felt Horatio's eyes on him. He looked back to see Horatio offering him a nod of encouragement. Ryan dipped his head quickly and was gone.

They arrived back at CSI to see Rick and some other guy from IA hemmed up with a rookie, a patrol officer, and a member of the CSI lab personnel that Ryan remembered seeing from time to time. Their union representatives were present. Rick was really going at them, with photos and other files. Ryan had never seen him so worked up. A crowd was gathering outside the interrogation room.

"What's going on?" Eric asked.

"They've had those guys in there for three hours," Walter answered. "Rick conducted a search of everyone's car and locker and apparently found what he was looking for in their stuff."

"I know that guy," Ryan said, studying the rookie. "He's been to the lab a few times. Said he wanted to be a CSI; even asked me for advice."

"Yeah, that's him," Eric answered. "He came around asking about you while you were out on leave."

"Yeah, what's his name? Byron de Silva, that's it. He heard how I got onto the team and wanted me to put in a good word for him, and maybe let him shadow me on a case. Are you sure he was involved in this?" Ryan asked.

Walter nodded. "They found gloves and spray paint in his trunk. The same kind of spray paint used on your car and locker."

"Yeah but…" Ryan trailed off. This was turning into a nightmare. He liked de Silva, and told him he would help him become a criminalist.

"Now Collins, I believe was in on it," Eric said, studying the other patrol officer, Andrew Collins. "I've had a few run ins with him myself."

"About what?" Walter asked.

"He made one too many 'you people' comments. He's a 'good ole boy' from Alabama. Even has a Confederate flag on his car. Apparently he has a problem with anyone who isn't white, male, and heterosexual."

Walter shuddered. "Well his new problem will be finding a job. Look, Rick is taking all of their badges and guns." They watched as Rick took the three badges and guns from the two patrol officers. The lab tech didn't carry a weapon. The crowd outside the interview room made way as the three officers and their union reps came out. Ryan locked eyes with the young rookie, whose eyes were full of guilt and remorse. Ryan looked away, disgusted.

"This is your fault!" Collins yelled at Ryan. "See what happens when you let _faggots _like him on the force?"

"Get him out of here!" Rick barked to the officers. Collins continued to hurl threats and insults as he was dragged away.

Once again, Ryan felt all eyes on him. This was getting really old.

"Wolfe. A minute?" Rick said, motioning for him to join him in the conference room.

"What's up Rick?"

"Well, Collins, de Silva, and Robinson are out of here, as I told Horatio they would be."

"Look Rick, I appreciate what you're doing but was that really necessary?" Ryan asked, his guilt mounting.

"Yes Ryan it was. The department has a zero tolerance policy on harassment based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. We've had seminars and even put it in the new contract that everyone had to sign. They knew what would happen if they get caught. And that rookie, de Silva went along with Collins and Robinson, despite his misgivings. He said he liked you and wanted you to mentor him."

"Then why the hell did he go along with this?" Ryan demanded.

"Apparently he let Collins bully him into participating," Rick said. "You could tell he's scared to death of Collins, and didn't want to go along with it."

"Well can't you cut him a break then, since Collins clearly was the ringleader?"

Rick shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. This isn't grade school, where the ringleader gets detention and the others get a lecture. When de Silva went along with what they were planning to do, he became just as guilty as them. If he had come forward before we caught them then maybe, just maybe, he could have saved his job."

Ryan shrugged. Of course Rick was right, there was no excuse for what de Silva, or any of them did. But he feared this incident had irrevocably damaged his reputation in the department. Even if Horatio was acquitted and returned to work, things would never be the same.

"Look, Wolfe. Take a few days off. Lay low and let everything cool off around here," Rick advised.

"All right."

As Ryan left the station, he was more convinced now than ever that what he was planning to do was the right decision. But how to tell H, and when?

**Hey guys, did you miss me? Sorry, things just got hectic at work, but I'm back! Hope you enjoy. Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Note: This chapter is mostly a flashback of Ryan's previous day, which explains the past tense. Some of his flashbacks are in italics. **

Not being able to sleep, Ryan had been pacing Eric's apartment all night. In the top five worse days of his life, yesterday had to be up there, right behind the day that Horatio and Eric had discovered the truth and Lenny and him. He flashed back to the beginning. It all started when he had delivered his 30 day notice to Rick. It had been burning a hole in his pocket for three days, ever since Rick had discovered who was responsible for the harassment and vandalism to his property. He had left the station that day and went to his favorite hideout, an internet café on the other side of town, and typed his resignation. It had to be done. He cited many reasons, centering on his how his judgment calls and actions over the last two years made him more of a hindrance rather than an asset to the department. He signed it, but couldn't deliver it. The resignation was so _final._ He would probably never be a cop again, at least not in Florida. Being a cop and CSI was all he knew, besides that brief fiasco with the News Reporter thing. He didn't even know how he would make ends meet, but he couldn't wait around until he found another job. Besides, the faster he left the department, the better it would go for Horatio after the trial.

_Horatio._ He had to keep H in mind when he made this step. They all knew Horatio would be in hot water for seeing Ryan, he was a lieutenant, and Ryan was not only a member of the department, making their relationship strictly against policy, but Ryan was Horatio's direct subordinate. This wasn't going to go well for H.

When he handed his resignation in to Rick, he accepted without much argument, which was a relief to Ryan. He was very pragmatic about the matter, admitting that Horatio was going to have to answer for this latest violation of MDPD policy. He suggested that Ryan take his remaining two weeks of vacation and sick days so that he wouldn't have to come back and face the obvious tension between him and the department. Ryan's hands had trembled as he turned in his badge and gun.

"And one more thing Wolfe…" Rick had started.

"No I haven't told Horatio yet," Ryan had answered reading his mind. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't either."

"I won't, but you need to tell him soon. Once I file the paperwork it will become public knowledge."

"Yeah, I get it," Ryan answered.

"Look Wolfe," Rick had addressed him. "I won't lie; you've been a pain in the ass over the past few years, almost as much as Horatio. But I do wish you the best."

"Well, Rick, you've been a pain in the ass too."

Rick had raised his eyebrows. "Well that's the job. Policing the police is a thankless task, but someone has to do it."

Ryan had left, and sent Horatio a message on the drop phone letting him know that he had needed to speak with him ASAP. They had met at one of their secret locations.

**Flashback**

"_What is it Ryan?" Horatio had asked, his voice full of concern._

"_Look H, I have something to tell you, and you aren't going to like it," Ryan had warned._

_Horatio cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"_

"_Look H, I…I resigned today." There, he had said it. _

_Horatio's eyes had grown hard. "You what?"_

"_You heard me H, I resigned."_

_Horatio was silent for a long moment as he took in the enormity of Ryan's words. He turned his back on Ryan so that Ryan could not see his expressions, a myriad of emotions: anger, guilt, disbelief…and even, ever so slight, a sigh of relief which he quickly tucked away._

"_Why?" He finally asked when he had composed himself._

"_You know why H. This whole thing is my fault-"_

"_That's not true Ryan-"_

"_H, please let me finish," Ryan said firmly._

"_I apologize Ryan. Please continue." _

"_These past few years have been a nightmare for both me and especially you. The leak to the press, the gambling, the accusations, the errors in judgment, and now this. The reason you are on trial is because I couldn't deal with __**MY **__boyfriend H__**. **__You had to jump in and save my ass again, and it may cost you your job and your very freedom. You have risked too much for me. It's time I take some of the responsibility."_

"_And you think that quitting your job will somehow make reparations?" Horatio countered._

"_Perhaps, perhaps not. But I have caused way too much trouble over the years. It's time H. You can't talk me out of this. My decision is made, I already handed in the letter."_

"_And what did Rick have to say about all of this?" Horatio all but demanded. _

"_He didn't object. He accepted it and wished me the best." _

_That statement had caused Horatio to flush with anger._

"_Look H, don't blame Rick. It's not his fault. This was my decision."_

"_The department needs you Ryan."_

"_No it doesn't. The department needs a good CSI who knows how to stay out of trouble-"_

"_Ryan __**I **__need you," Horatio's voice sounded pleading, almost desperate._

"_And you have me. I'm not going anywhere H. I just won't be working there."_

_Horatio closed his eyes and sighed. There was nothing that could be done to change Ryan's mind. Ryan encircled Horatio with his arms. "Look H. It's the best thing, for both of us. Can you trust me on this please?"_

_Horatio had leaned back against Ryan. "I can. I love you Ryan."_

_Ryan turned Horatio around. "I love you too H. You know that." He kissed Horatio. Horatio pulled Ryan closer._

"_I'm so tired of this H," Ryan said in between kisses. "I want this trial to be over so that we can hold each other every night."_

"_So do I, Ryan. So do I. Remember what I…" Horatio was interrupted by his phone vibrating. "Excuse me." He answered the phone. "Yeah…got it…see you in thirty." He turned to Ryan. "That was Derek. Trial is about to resume. Eric is up this morning. I need both of you to stay level headed, alright?"_

"_Yes H, I know."_

Eric's testimony was nothing of the sort. Rebecca treated him more like a witness for the defense that she was cross examining.

"Now let's talk about the night Lieutenant nearly beat Mr. Borgia to death-" she had started.

"Objection," Derek intervened. "That incident is sealed. Borgia signed a confidentiality agreement."

"Mr. Borgia is dead, therefore the agreement is nullified," Rebecca answered smugly.

"Says who-"

"Not so fast," the judge had intervened. "I'll see the counselors and the defendant in chambers."

Rebecca had argued that the incident was directly related to the current case, and Derek had countered that Borgia had signed a confidentiality agreement that could still be honored after death. But the operative work was _could._ Rebecca won the motion and the incident was allowed in. Horatio gritted his teeth but maintained his stoic expression with great effort. He would _not _let Rebecca see that she had rattled him, and this was a major setback in their case. Rebecca was going to use the incident to establish a pattern, and he had ordered Eric and Ryan to hang him out to dry on the stand.

"Now, Officer Delko. Let's return to the incident in which Lieutenant Caine nearly beat Mr. Borgia to death-"

"Objection," Derek intervened.

"I'll rephrase. On the eve on March sixth, describe the confrontation between Lieutenant Caine and Leonardo Borgia."

"Horatio and I arrived at Officer Ryan Wolfe's apartment at approximately 7:30 pm to find Borgia and Ryan Wolfe fighting. While we were in the process of breaking up the fight Officer Wolfe passed…was knocked unconscious."

"And what happened next?"

"I called for an ambulance and Lieutenant Caine went to subdue the suspect."

"You mean Mr. Borgia, the victim."

"He wasn't a victim, he beat a police officer until he was unconscious!" Eric snapped. Ryan clenched his fist and shifted in his seat.

"Be that as it may-"

"Move on counselor," the judge advised.

"What do you mean when you said Lt. Caine _subdued_ the suspect?" Rebecca asked Eric.

"Lieutenant Caine instructed Borgia to get on the ground but he refused. He shoved Lt. Caine and swung at him."

"And what happened next?"

"Lt. Caine was forced to defend himself."

"And what does that mean, Officer Delko?" Rebecca challenged.

"Just what I said. Lt. Caine was able to wrestle Borgia to the ground and cuff him."

"Is that all he did?"

"What do you mean?" Eric demanded.

"Did he hit Mr. Borgia?" Rebecca asked.

"He may have hit him once or twice," Eric answered reluctantly.

"Once or twice?" Rebecca asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's what I said," Eric quipped.

"Well how do you explain this?" Rebecca held up a picture of Lenny. Both of his eyes were black, and his nose was in a splint, not to mention the broken collarbone which left his arm in a sling. There was a collective gasp from the jury as they passed the pictures around.

"Like I said, I was tending to Officer Wolfe, who was unconscious at that point. I only saw Lieutenant Caine punch him twice."

"Fair enough," Rebecca answered. "Now one more thing Officer Delko. Did Lieutenant Caine say anything during the struggle with Mr. Borgia?"

_Oh no._ The question that Eric was dreading the most. "Officer Delko?" Rebecca prompted. "What did Lt. Caine _say_ during the struggle?"

Eric swallowed hard. No he couldn't say it…he couldn't…he wouldn't…he wouldn't hang Horatio out to dry…even if it meant his own job…

"Perhaps this will help jog your memory," she said, handing him a police report. "This is the statement that Mr. Borgia gave from the hospital read the highlighted portion please."

"No." Eric said.

"Officer Delko-"

"I said no," Eric growled. "Read it yourself!"

"Your Honor," Rebecca addressed the judge.

"The witness will comply with the counselor's request, or be held in contempt," the judge declared.

Eric was trapped. He snatched the document from Rebecca. "It says 'I'll kill you. I'll kill you asshole. I'll kill you for putting your hands on my Ryan,'" Eric read. Too ashamed to look at Horatio, he kept his head down.

"Did Lt. Caine say those words?"

Silence.

"Officer Delko?"

Silence.

"Answer the question Officer Delko," the judge instructed.

"Yes," Eric answered, his voice barely above a whisper. The court exploded into a buzz of noise and conversation. The judge banged his gavel until the court was silent again.

"Thank you Officer Delko," Rebecca strutted off. "Your witness," she threw over her shoulder at Derek.

"Officer Delko," Powell began. "Can you tell the court what this is?" Derek asked, showing Eric a picture.

"Yes. It's a picture of Officer Wolfe after he was attacked by that animal Borgia."

"Objection," Rebecca intervened.

"Sustained," said the judge.

Derek passed the picture around. Ryan was in even worse shape. He was in the hospital bed, with all kinds of tubes hooked up to him, and he was receiving blood. Ryan's face was black and blue. Again, the gasps and whispers from the jury.

"Could you read the highlighted portion of the medical report?"

Rebecca objected, but the judge overruled her when Derek produced a release that Ryan had signed unsealing his medical records.

"Four broken ribs, ruptured spleen, various internal injuries, internal bleeding, cracked collarbone."

"Thank you. So what you're saying is that Borgia almost beat Ryan Wolfe, a fellow police officer, to death." Ryan was trembling with emotion. Reliving this day was a nightmare.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Eric answered.

"Officer Delko, were there any other incidents involving Borgia and Officer Wolfe-"

Rebecca objected, but was again overruled. 'You opened this door counselor,' the judge reminded her.

"Yes. Earlier that day Lt. Caine and I intervened on another fight involving Borgia and Officer Wolfe."

"I see. Tell the court what happened."

"Officer Wolfe was late to a crime scene, so I called him. Borgia interrupted our conversation and used profanity towards me and lieutenant Caine. We were concerned, so we went to Ryan's apartment. Borgia was attacking Officer Wolfe when we got there."

"Were they fighting, or was Borgia attacking him?"

"No, Borgia was attacking Wolfe, he was on top of Ryan and punching him in the face."

Ryan flushed with anger and squirmed in his seat. _I'm nothing but a bitch, _he thought. _Just like Lenny said._

"Tell the court what happened next."

"Lt. Caine and I pulled Borgia off of Ryan and I attempted to arrest him, but he attacked me."

"Where was Lt. Caine?" Derek Asked.

"He was tending to Ryan's injuries. He had a black eye and a split lip."

"I see. You say Borgia attacked you?"

"Yes. He shoved me, kicked me and used profanity, telling me to 'get the fuck off of him'." Eric offered that up without prompting.

"I see. Did you finally get him cuffed?"

"Yes, with the help of three other officers."

"I see. So it took four officers to subdue Mr. Borgia. We have already heard testimony that he was on steroids. Thank you officer Delko. That will be all."

The judge asked Rebecca if she had a redirect, and she harangued him again, bringing up the fact that Borgia was unarmed and outnumbered, and driving home the fact that Horatio had threatened to kill him several times. When he was finally excused, he delivered Rebecca a death glare and stalked out of the courtroom. Ryan followed, but Eric was gone. The court recessed for the day and Ryan went home, or back to Eric's house. He walked in to see Eric venting his frustration on his poor apartment.

"Eric!" Ryan exclaimed as he struggled to keep Eric from knocking another hole in the wall. "Chill out man!"

"Did you see what happened in there today?" Eric demanded of Ryan. "I basically nailed Horatio to the wall! I made that bitch's case for her!"

"Look Eric, this is my fault, If I hadn't-"

"Oh can it Ryan. This is all that bitch's fault. She's got it in for H, I know it. I just can't figure out why."

Ryan's face was a dead giveaway. "What is it Wolfe? Do you know something?"

"Look Eric, I can't. I promised H I wouldn't…"

"Oh did you? After Everything I've done, you can't even tell me what's going on? Don't forget, H isn't the only one with his job on the line. Mine is too. And yours."

"I know that Eric. That's why I resigned today."

Eric peered at him closely. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to save H's job, and save the department any further embarrassment courtesy of me."

"I see. Well I'll bet H didn't take that too kindly. You did tell him didn't you?"

"Yeah. I learned my lesson from the last time."

"What did he say?"

"He was upset, but there is nothing that can change my mind."

"I see. Well, I'm going to get some air and some plaster for these walls."

They had spent the evening patching up the holes in Eric's wall. Eric had gone to bed, but Ryan couldn't sleep. Now he was on the balcony, taking in the cool night air and reflecting on the activities of the previous day and the fact that he would have to deliver the final nail in Horatio's coffin with his testimony later that morning.

**Chicas! I'm back! It's been a while, but I couldn't find the motivation, the time, or the right story line. Expect another update really soon! Keep up the reviews!**


	18. Chapter 18

"State your name please," Rebecca said to Ryan. His day had arrived.

"Ryan Wolfe."

"Thank you. Mr. Wolfe, what was the nature of your relationship to the victim, Leonardo Borgia?" Rebecca asked him, with a smirk that Ryan wanted to slap off of her face. Instead he simply answered, "Leonardo and me dated for approximately one year."

"I see. And what was the status of your relationship with Horatio Caine on the night that Leonardo Borgia was killed?"

"Objection-" Derek intervened.

"I'll rephrase. What was the status of the relationship on the night of Mr. Borgia's death?"

"Lt. Caine and I had been dating for approximately one month."

"I see." Her smirk grew sharper. "When did you break up with Mr. Borgia?"

Ryan blinked at her. "What?"

"You heard me, Mr. Wolfe. _When _did Mr. Borgia and you end your relationship?"

_Oh no._ Truth be told, Ryan had never _officially _ended it with Lenny. "The night he attacked me and put me in the hospital."

"Oh really?"

Ryan stared at her and lied with a straight face. "Yes, really."

"And when was this?" Rebecca challenged.

"After he came back and I was on the phone with Lt. Caine. He told me to get off the phone and I told him to leave and that our relationship was over."

"Mr. Wolfe, that goes in direct contrast with the statement we received from Mr. Borgia," Rebecca informed him. "Please keep in mind that you are under oath and will be charged with perjury-"

"Move on Ms. Nevins," the judge cut in. "Mr. Wolfe gave his sworn testimony and Mr. Borgia cannot refute it. Also, his testimony cannot be totally trusted."

"Yes your honor," Rebecca muttered. "Moving on. Isn't it true that you are a member of Lt. Caine's team, prior to his suspension that is?"

"I was," Ryan confirmed.

"And isn't it true that it is against MDPD policy to date another-"

"Objection, Lt. Caine's violation of MDPD policy is not on trial here," Derek stated.

"Goes directly to establish the character of the defendant Your Honor," Rebecca spoke up.

"Tread lightly Ms. Nevins," the judge warned.

"Yes your honor. Now Ryan, is it not against MDPD policy to consort with another member of the department, particularly a subordinate?"

"Yes it is," Ryan answered, unfazed. Horatio fixed his gaze on Ryan, wondering where all this calm confidence came from. Eric had told him that Ryan was up all night, pacing and stressing.

"So it's safe to say that Lt. Caine could have lost his job, if you two were discovered, correct?"

"I cannot answer that," Ryan countered. "I am not a member of the IAB." Rebecca narrowed her eyes at him.

"But you do agree that dating your supervisor would put his job and yours in jeopardy, correct?"

"It might, but Lt. Caine was not my supervisor when we started dating and I no longer work for the MDPD, so the point is moot," Ryan answered.

Rebecca's eyes widened, the court burst into loud whispers. Ryan had just thrown a monkey wrench in her case, and she wasn't pleased. She asked for a recess.

"I see no cause for a recess," Derek intervened. "Mr. Wolfe's current employment status bears no true relevance in this trial."

The judge agreed. "I agree with Mr. Powell. You will continue, Ms. Nevins."

"Very well. Isn't it true that Lt. Caine was issued a restraining order which stated that he must stay 100 yards away from Mr. Borgia at all times?"

"Yes," Ryan answered.

"And isn't it true that Lt. Caine violated that order the night he shot Mr. Borgia?"

"Yes, but he did it to save my life," Ryan insisted.

"So the answer is yes, Mr. Wolfe?"

"Yes," Ryan confirmed, feeling his temper rise a bit. He forced himself to calm down.

"And where did the shooting take place?"

"At the Sandy Shores Suites on Central Avenue."

"What were you doing there, Mr. Wolfe?"

"I had a soda in the lobby, then checked into a room." Ryan kept his answers short, knowing that he was about to hang H out to dry, just as Eric had done the day before.

"Why did you check into a room? Weren't you staying with Lt. Caine after you left the hospital?"

"Yes, but…" Ryan trailed off.

"I was going to return to my apartment by Lenny… I mean Borgia broke into it so I-"

"You say he broke in? Didn't he have a key?" Rebecca asked.

"No he didn't. I told him that I wanted him to move out when I broke up with him and he refused. He said he would kill me first." The lie slipped out without Ryan even being able to stop it. Horatio's expression remained unchanged, although his stomach was doing flip flops. But it wasn't totally lie. Ryan _had _ tried to break up with Lenny, and Lenny _had_ threatened to kill him, but it just happened to be two months before the night in question, but there was no need for Rebecca to know that.

"Is that your sworn testimony?" Rebecca challenged.

"It is." Ryan's Hazel eyes met hers, unflinchingly.

"Move on," the judge advised.

"Mr. Wolfe, I repeat, why didn't you go back to Lt. Caine's house?"

"Because we had a…disagreement." Ryan answered reluctantly.

"A disagreement? What was the disagreement about?" Rebecca asked.

"None of your business."

"I'll rephrase. Did the argument have something to do with Mr. Borgia?"

Ryan paused. He could to this. _This is for H, _he reminded himself. "Yes, we argued about Mr. Borgia."

"What was the argument-"

"I will _not_ answer that. Hold me in contempt if you want, but it's none of your business," Ryan insisted. Rebecca did not want to sway the jury against her by badgering another of her own witnesses. They had not been pleased with the way she had handled Eric the day before.

"So you checked into the hotel and what did you do next?"

"I went to my room and Mr. Borgia followed me."

"And when did Lt. Caine enter?"

"Approximately six minutes later."

"I see."

"And then what happened?"

Ryan decided to just answer her questions; he knew Derek would cover the fight and the GHB in his cross examination.

"Lt. Caine intervened and shot him."

"One more question Mr. Wolfe. Was Mr. Borgia carrying any kind of weapon?"

"No."

"Thank you. Your witness," Rebecca said to Derek.

"The court will recess for lunch and resume cross examination at 2 pm," the judge announced.

Ryan left the courtroom and looked for Horatio, but he had already left. Eric walked up to him.

"Nice going Wolfe! I see you didn't let that bitch rattle you too much."

"Yeah, figured I'd better keep my cool."

"Well, you want to grab lunch?"

"Sure let's go to the-"

"Excuse me. Ryan?" Ryan and Eric turned to see a man, around Ryan's height with short curly blond hair and crystal blue eyes. He was handsome, save for a long thing scar that ran down his left cheek, starting at this eye, and he kept the left side of his lip slightly tucked in.

"Yes?"

"My name is Nick. I'm from the U2 men's crisis center."

"Ok. What is it?"

"Look, I've been following your story in court."

"Yeah, come to think of it I have seen you in the back of the courtroom," Eric said, eyeing him. "How'd you get in, it's supposed to be closed to the public."

"I have contacts," Nick answered. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to stop by one of our group-"

"Thanks but no thank you," Ryan said, quickly cutting Nick off. Nick wasn't fazed; he must have been used to this reaction.

"Look, just think about it. Here's my card," he said, handing Ryan a card. Ryan tucked it into his pocket and waved the man away.

"Let's get out of here," he said to Eric, obviously embarrassed.

At the restaurant, Eric and Ryan sat on the patio. "Hey Wolfe, maybe you should give that guy a call."

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "Why? Lenny's dead. Now it's over." But the look Eric gave him let him know that Eric wasn't so sure.

"Look my sister Carolina was abused by her boyfriend for a long time, and we didn't know. When we found out, my cousin and I roughed him up and warned him never to come near her again. He didn't but she still had nightmares and couldn't leave the house. She even moved back home. She didn't get better until she started talking to someone. A support group really helped her."

Ryan thought for a moment. "I appreciate what you're trying to do Eric, but I'm fine. Now can we move on please?"

"Ok Wolfe."

They finished their lunch in an awkward silence.

Back in the courtroom, Ryan felt a new sense of calm.

"Mr. Wolfe, earlier you stated that Mr. Borgia and you had dated for a year," Derek started.

"That is correct."

"Can you describe your relationship with Mr. Borgia?"

"It was…not happy." Ryan answered.

"Mr. Wolfe, I know this might be painful, but could you elaborate?"

"Yes. It was abusive…we argued and fought a lot. He…" Ryan swallowed hard, his throat was dry. Everyone knew what happened. Why couldn't he admit it?

"Take your time, Mr. Wolfe."

"He beat me."

"How often did this happen?"

"Once or twice a month at first. Then it started happening more often. For the past few months we were fighting three or four times a week. Anything that set him off would cause him to jump on me."

"Did Lt. Caine ever set him off?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"One night we had got into a bad fight. I kicked him out but he came back later and we…he apologized, and even cried. That night when I went to sleep, I muttered Horatio's name. Lenny heard me and he got angry." Ryan was starting to tense.

"What happened then?" Derek asked.

"I woke up and he…he was on top of me…choking me…"

One of the jurors gasped. Rebecca's mouth was fixed into a fine line. She knew better than to object. Horatio's jaw tightened, under the table, he was clenching and unclenching his fist.

"Do you need a moment?" Derek asked.

"No," Ryan said a little too loudly. He calmed down a little. "I'm fine." He just wanted to get it over.

"Continue."

"He was choking me. And I passed out. When I came to, he was gone. He left marks on my neck. I had to wear high collared shirts for a few days."

A pang of guilt shot through Eric. He had teased Ryan for weeks about his sudden change in wardrobe.

"What happened after that?"

"Every time someone from work called me, or I mentioned H, or he saw H on the news he would…he would…"

"Mr. Wolfe, let me clarify. By 'H' you mean Lt. Caine?"

"Yes."

"How did your relationship affect you on the job?"

"I had to call in a few times. And when I got injured and Horatio asked me about it, I would lie."

"Why did you feel that you had to lie to Lt. Caine?"

"Because it was…embarrassing!" Ryan exclaimed. "How could I tell my boss that I got a black eye because my boyfriend heard us talking on the phone about a case?" Ryan demanded. "Or that he kicked me in the ribs because he saw Horatio touch me there?" Ryan's Hazel eyes were ablaze. Derek wanted to cease this line of questioning but he knew he had to continue. There was a loud 'snap' in the courtroom. Everyone looked towards the sound. Horatio had snapped his silver plated fountain pen in half, and blue ink dripped down his fingers onto his soft green sleeve and his charcoal suit. His face was a mask of no emotion, but anyone who knew him well could tell that he was seething, and that if Lenny weren't already dead he would have been by the end of the day.

"We have already heard description of what happened on the day you entered the hospital from Officer Delko. Can you add anything new to the situation?"

"Yes. I was late again because Lenny and I had been fighting. Eric called me and asked where I was but Lenny grabbed the phone, he argued with Eric and then Horatio got on the phone and demanded that Lenny put me on the phone."

"What happened then?"

"Horatio asked me why I was late and who Lenny was. I told him Lenny was my boyfriend and then Lenny snatched the phone and we started fighting again."

"Do you remember the fight?"

"No, not much. I remember him hitting me and…" Ryan racked his brain "… we fell over the couch and broke a lot of furniture…and then H and Eric were there."

"What happened the second time you was attacked that day?"

"I don't know," Ryan answered honestly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Derek asked.

"All I know is I was talking on the phone to Horatio and I heard Lenny and told him to get out and I never wanted to see him again. Then everything went black."

"What's the next thing you remember?"

"I was in the hospital."

"Thank you. Now about the night Mr. Borgia was shot."

"What about it?" Ryan really wanted this to be over with.

"Did you let Mr. Borgia into your hotel room?" Derek asked.

"Of course not!" Ryan snapped.

"How did he get into your room?" Derek asked.

"He must have stolen a hotel key-"

"Objection, cause for speculation," Rebecca intervened.

"Sustained," the judge said.

"Fine, he had a key, but I didn't give it to him, nor did I authorize anyone to have a key," Ryan answered.

"Thank you. What happened when Mr. Borgia entered the hotel room?"

"He attacked me."

"Could you describe it in a little more detail please?" Derek asked.

"Well he came in and I aimed my .38 at him and told him I would shoot him if he didn't leave. He laughed and attacked me anyway, and I shot him."

"How many times did you shoot him?"

"Twice. But he still kept coming at me. He told me he would going to kill me and leave me for Horatio to find."

"What happened next?"

"I tried to run out of the room but he grabbed me and dragged me back. I smashed his face with a lamp and he still kept coming at me. So I picked up my gun and I was about to shoot him again but Lt. Caine intervened and shot him."

"So what you're saying is that a man who was seven inches taller and at least sixty pounds heavier than you attacked you, and even though you shot him and smashed a lamp in his face he kept coming?"

"Yes," Ryan answered, suddenly feeling very feeble and small.

"One last question Mr. Wolfe. Do you think that Mr. Borgia would have killed you if Lt. Caine had not shown up and shot him?"

"Yes. I couldn't get a good shot in and that animal fucking animal-"

"Objection," Rebecca intervened.

"Overruled."

"…That fucking animal would have beaten me to fucking death! Is that what you wanted to hear? What a fucking bitch I am? Just like he said!" Ryan was shouting at Derek, at Rebecca, at Horatio. He was shouting at everyone and no one in particular. "Yeah there you have it, Ryan the little bitch, the cop who couldn't even stop his own boyfriend from using him as a punching bag. That's what you wanted isn't it?" he demanded at the courtroom. "There you have it. I'm a fucking bitch and Horatio had to come and save me again!"

Ryan jumped up and ran from the courtroom. The last thing he heard was the judge banging his gavel to maintain order.

*5 Hours Later*

"No H, I haven't seen him," Eric told Horatio over the phone. After Ryan bolted the courtroom erupted into chaos. Rebecca was in a frenzy, she had a redirect planned but couldn't locate Ryan. The judge had informed Rebecca that Ryan was her witness and she was responsible for locating him within 24 hours. But Ryan had disappeared.

"Ok, and who was that talking to you two after the first recess?"

"Oh, it was a counselor from the men's resource center. But Ryan didn't have much to say to him."

"I see. Thank you Eric." Horatio hung up the phone and drummed his ink stained fingers on his belt, something he did when he was puzzling something out. Where was Ryan? Horatio had his connections trying to locate him as well but they weren't having any luck either.

"Look Horatio, I apologize. I didn't want to put Ryan on the spot like that but it had to be done."

Horatio nodded. He knew Derek was right, but didn't trust himself to respond. When Ryan had left the courtroom Horatio had lost his composure had went after him, but Derek had to stop him and remind Horatio about the order that he have no contact for Ryan or Eric. For one moment Horatio was tempted to say the hell the order and go find his Ryan but he soon remembered himself and reentered the courtroom, listening to Rebecca screech at Ryan over his voice mail with threats and warnings.

Ryan sat in a corner of the bar, nursing his third beer, bring his total drinks to five, including the two shots of whiskey he had started the evening with. He had thought he was over it. After all, Lenny was _dead, _he couldn't hurt him anymore. Horatio would never hurt him. Horatio would never beat him, or call him a skinny bitch, or lock him in his bathroom for two days to 'punish' him. Horatio would never…

"No!" Ryan exclaimed and threw the beer bottle to the ground. Everyone in the bar stared, and the bartender got ready to throw Ryan out.

"We're ok. I'll take care of it." The man leaned down to give Ryan a hand with picking up the bottle pieces. Ryan looked up to thank the man, staring into the crystal blue eyes of the man he had met earlier.

"Uh…Nick right?" Ryan's memory was fuzzy, the alcohol was affecting him.

"Hello Ryan. Rough Day?"

**Chicas! Hope you enjoy. Already working on the next chapter. Let's get those reviews in, I want more than three this time. I know you're reading!**


	19. Chapter 19

"You could say that," Ryan answered. "I assume you saw my testimony today?"

"I did," Nick answered, "And this won't make you feel any better but I have seen plenty of testimonies like yours, and as a counselor I have listened to hundreds more, some far worse than yours."

"You're right; it doesn't make me feel better." Ryan swayed, and Nick held him firmly.

"Let's get you outside," Nick suggested.

The fresh air did wonders for Ryan, especially after Nick steered him to an alley so he could rid his system of all the alcohol he had drank that evening.

"Feeling better now?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, kind of." Ryan fumbled for his cell phone; it fell from his hand and hit the ground, shattering the case. "Dammit! All my contacts were in there. Now how am I supposed to get home?"

"Ryan, it's ok. I can give you a ride."

Ryan eyed Nick suspiciously. "Look no offense man, but I don't know you. All I know is your first name, if that even what it is."

Nick chuckled. "You're right. Are you sure you don't know any of your friend's numbers by heart?"

*Across town*

Horatio didn't recognize the number on his caller ID, but his instincts told him it had something to do with Ryan.

"Horatio Caine."

"Uh, hi H. It's me."

"Ryan, where are you? Are you OK?"

"I'm OK, but I'm not exactly sure where I am."

Horatio's mind worked quickly. "OK, remain calm. We can run a trace on the phone…"

"That won't be necessary," an unfamiliar voice cut in. "We're at _One Last Round_ in Key Biscayne. I can give you directions-"

"That won't be necessary. To whom am I speaking with?"

"My name is Nick. I'm from the U2 Men's Crisis-"

"I've heard of it. What are you doing there with Ryan?"

"Horatio, I will gladly explain it to you, but the most important thing is to get Ryan home safe and sound, wouldn't you agree?"

Horatio's jaw clenched. "Agreed. I will be there within a half hour. DO NOT move from where you are. If you do, I will know. Understood?"

"Of course. We'll be here, waiting for you."

Horatio worked to calm himself down as he called Eric. Something about this Nick didn't sit right with him, but he resolved not to act rashly until Ryan was back safe with him.

Eric and Horatio met up and decided to take Eric's truck to meet up with Ryan. Eric and Horatio both knew they taking big risks, especially considering the fact that neither Eric nor Ryan were supposed to have any contact with Horatio. But they also knew that when it came to Ryan's safety, no risk was too great for Horatio.

Meanwhile, Ryan was doing his best to fight the overwhelming drowsiness that had just overtaken him. He knew that he needed to stay awake but he was just so…so…sleepy…

Maybe he could close his eyes, just for a few seconds, a minute at the most…

*20 Minutes later*

"Ryan, wake up." Ryan sat up and rubbed his eyes, focusing Horatio into view.

"H? When did you…how…what's going on?" Ryan struggled to organize his thoughts.

"Are you ok Ryan?" Horatio all but demanded, peering at him closely.

"H, I'm fine…just a little groggy…" Ryan answered.

Horatio glared at Nick. "Was he drinking with you? What did he drink?" he demanded.

"I'm not exactly sure; you would have to ask the bartender. I got there at the tail end."

"Eric, stay here with Nick. _Do not _let him leave. Ryan and I will return shortly."

"Sure thing H." When they walked off, Eric turned to Nick. "Sorry about H. He's just protective when it comes to all of us, especially Ryan, considering all that he's gone through."

Nick nodded. "Understood. Ryan is lucky to have people who love and support him; it's an important step to his healing. But he is going to take more than love to overcome what he's been through. He needs to talk to someone."

Eric nodded in agreement. "My sister was in an abusive relationship. She didn't get better until she talked to someone. I'm trying to get Ryan some help but he's in denial right now."

"It's a part of the process. The shock from Lenny being shot has worn off, and he's moving past the guilt stage. Denial and anger are up now."

Eric studied Nick closely. "You seem to know a lot about this."

Nick shrugged. "You have to have lived it to really understand it. But that's another story for another time."

Eric smiled his irresistible smile. "_The Neverending Story_."

Nick smiled back and winked. "_Die unendliche Geschichte.__ "_

"_Sind Sie Deutsch_?" Eric asked Nick.

Nick raised his eyebrow in surprise and nodded. ''Ja-"

"Eric. I have spoken with the bartender and now we can leave," Horatio interjected.

Eric handed Horatio his keys. "Ok, just a minute H."

Horatio raised his eyebrows at Eric, but said nothing and helped Ryan into the truck. He noticed Eric and Nick talking in hushed tones and wasn't pleased about it. There was something strange about this 'Nick' and he was determined to figure out what it was. And what language were they speaking, was that German?

Meanwhile, Nick and Eric were arranging to meet the next day.

[This conversationis taking place in German].

Eric: "The defense starts it's case tomorrow, so it's going to be a crazy day."

Nick:"I know, I'll be there. I was wondering if we could meet up tomorrow evening and talk?"

Eric: "Sounds good."

Nick: "Here's my card. Call me later tonight."

Eric: "I will."

[End of German Conversation]

"I didn't know you spoke German Eric," Horatio commented as they were driving back to Miami.

"I do," Eric answered, obviously distracted.

"What do you know about this Nick character?" Horatio asked.

Eric shrugged. "Nothing really. Just that he's a counselor at the men's crisis center and he offered to help Ryan-"

"Ryan doesn't need his help." Horatio interjected. "He has me...us. We will help him get through this."

Ryan was fast asleep in the back seat, oblivious to the fact that he was being discussed.

"Look H, I know you love Ryan and you want to help him, but we have no idea what he's going through. The people at the crisis center do, and I think he should talk to them-"

"Absolutely not." Horatio said firmly.

Eric knew better than to push the issue with Horatio, especially at the moment; but he was determined that both Horatio and Ryan would see his point.

"By the way, Ryan will be staying with me tonight."

That night in bed, Horatio had much on his mind. Tomorrow Derek would begin his case, starting with a string of character witnesses and victims that he had helped over the years and then a suprise witness that no one, not even Ryan, knew about. It would end with his testifying in his own defense.

But then there was Ryan. His testimony was extremely painful, and Horatio got the feeling that there was more, much more to the story that he didn't know, and probably never would. But Lenny was gone, dead and still as present in their lives as the day he attacked Ryan. And then there was this Nick. Some random 'counselor' who appeared out of nowhere and claimed to want to help Ryan, but Horatio wasn't so sure, and he wasn't going to let him get near Ryan until he knew exactly who he was and what his motives were. Eric seemed to accept Nick's explanation at face value but Horatio's suspicious nature wouldn't allow that.

He glanced at the clock on the night stand. 2:36. Derek wanted to meet at seven to do a brief run-down of their case before heading to court. He closed his eyes, determined to get at least a few hours of sleep but Ryan's mumbling snapped him back awake.

_"Lenny...Lenny...not tonight...I'm tired..."_

Horatio sat up. "Ryan?" He gently shook Ryan, but he was still asleep.

_"Lenny...he's just my boss...no, no...not again...please don't..."_

Again, Horatio shook Ryan gently and called to him softly. "Ryan?"

Ryan began shaking violently. _"Lenny! No! Stop it! He's nothing to me...just my boss...leave me alone!" _Ryan began flailing, kicking and swinging.

"Ryan!" Horatio said, shaking Ryan firmly. "Ryan! Wake up!"

_"GET OFF OF ME MOTHERFUCKER!" _Ryan screamed and shoved Horatio off the bed. Then he jumped out of bed, ran into the bathroom and slammed the door, locking it behind him. Horatio jumped up and followed him.

"Ryan! Ryan!" he banged on the door. "Open the door. It's me!"

_"Get away from the door Lenny! I'll kill you!"_

Horatio heard something heavy bang against the door. "Ryan! It's Horatio! Open the door! I'm not going to hurt you. Please, please, just open the door."

"H?" Ryan's voice cracked. Horatio could tell he was awake now.

"Yes, Ryan, it's me. Open the door."

"Where am I? What happened?" Ryan asked, confused.

"You're in my apartment, you were having a nightmare. Open the door."

The door opened slightly, and Ryan peeked out, as if to make sure it was really Horatio before opening it completely. Horatio gathered Ryan into his arms and held him tight. Ryan buried his head in Horatio's shoulder.

"H, I'm so sorry." His voice was muffled.

"No Ryan, I'm sorry. For putting you through this. This is my fault."

"No, no it isn't, H. I didn't mean to lose it on the stand but it just brought up so many bad memories H. You don't know the half of it. I just...just..." Ryan's lip trembled, but he held back, determined not to show any more weakness than he already had.

Back in bed, Horatio rubbed Ryan's back and Ryan was comforted as he lay his head on Horatio's chest.

"You know H..." Ryan began.

"What is it love?"

"Maybe I should...maybe...get some help you know? Talk to someone. My nighmares have started again and I keep reliving the worst days of my times with Lenny. It was something Eric said earlier, about his sister. This isn't going to go away just because Lenny is dead. So, maybe I should go to counseling. Like that Nick guy-" Ryan broke off as Horatio stiffened. "What is it H? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong Ryan. If you want to seek counseling I fully support you. I just..."

Ryan sat up and looked at Horatio. "What is it?"

"I just don't know about this Nick. I just want to check into him first. And this crisis center."

"That seems fair," Ryan decided, before lying down on top of Horatio again.

"Ryan, we'll get through this, I promise. I'm with you ever step of the way. I love you Ryan."

"I love you too Horatio."

**A/N: Some of you may be concerned about the amount of angst in the story but I've actually held back. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. This story is getting a lot longer than I had ever planned it to be. I don't want to rush it, but I don't want it to turn into a **_**War and Peace**_** novel either. **

_**The Neverending Story**_** is a German Fantasy Novel by Michael Ende. I only intended to use one quote, but the German thing just came to me. **

_**Die unendliche Geschichte**_**- German translation of **_**The Neverending Story**_

_**Sind Sie Deutsch? **_**–Are you German?**

**About Nick-He is an importnat part of this story. The true nature of his character and intentions will be revealed very soon...so keep guessing!**

**I promise not to make you wait too long. **

**Much luv, and please review!**

**Ng714**


	20. Chapter 20

"So what did you find out?" Horatio asked Eric. It was lunch recess at court, and they had listened to three different character witnesses, victims of crimes that Horatio had helped. After lunch, Derek had two cops testifying and then his surprise witness.

"Look H, he does have a record, but I still don't think we should jump to conclusions." He handed Horatio a copy of Nick's criminal background check, which Horatio had 'asked' him to run on Nick using fingerprint on the business card that he had given to Eric.

"Let's see. His real name is Nicholas Schweitzer, but he had used at least three aliases. He has multiple charges of fraud, passing bad checks, possession with intent and even solicitation…" Horatio read on. He knew there was something suspicious about Nick. _He knew it_!

"Look H, we don't know what was going on…" Eric started. Horatio studied Eric, trying to puzzle out his motives. Eric usually had no sympathy for these kinds of criminals.

"Look here. He was acquitted of a murder charge on 2007. The victim was his boyfriend. It says he broke into his apartment and shot him in cold blood."

"H-"

"Eric, if you are going to take Nick's side after this then I have to wonder if you really have Ryan's best interests at heart." Horatio said with a steely edge in his voice. Eric studied Horatio; he had never taken that tone with him before.

"Look, all I'm saying is we should get his side before we jump to conclusions. We owe him that."

"No Eric, we don't owe him _anything._ I've heard all I need to hear. And even though the U2 center is reputable I have to question their judgment as well. This matter is closed for discussion. I don't want Ryan around him. _Period_."

Eric rolled his eyes. Horatio was a stubborn as they came.

"Eric? H? What's going on? What's that tone all about Horatio?" Ryan had arrived, and was eyeing both of them suspiciously.

"We've found out some information on this Nick character Ryan," Horatio informed him and passed him the papers.

"You were spying on him?" Ryan accused, while skimming the papers.

"I told you I was going to check into his background Ryan," Horatio answered. "And I don't like what we found. I want you to stay away from him."

Ryan's eye sparkled with anger. "What did you just say?"

"Ryan, he's dangerous. He had a murder charge-"

"As do you, Horatio." Ryan countered, then immediately regretted his outburst.

Horatio's eyes flashed with anger. _"The…circumstances…are completely different Ryan."_ Horatio said through clenched teeth.

"Look H, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. All I meant was that you can't jump to conclusions."

"Is that right? Well you'll forgive me for saving your life and risking my own freedom in the process." Horatio turned on his heel to leave.

"H, wait." Ryan dashed off after him and blocked his path. "Look I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it. I just got a feeling that Nick was…was kind of like me. And I want to hear his story H, with our without your approval." Ryan said with a finality and firmness that Horatio hadn't heard in a long time. "We can't just judge him like that. I have a record of gambling. That doesn't make me a bad person."

Horatio stood there, stewing in his anger at Eric's and Ryan's little rebellion against his wishes. Why couldn't they just do what he asked? Where was all this coming from? Add that to the stress of this trial and he found that his patience and temper were shortening by the hour.

"Look H," Eric said diplomatically. "I'm meeting with him later at my place. You're welcome to come and hear what he has to say."

"I think not Eric," Horatio answered coldly.

"H, wait-" Ryan started but broke off when Horatio turned on his heel and left, closing the door behind him.

"Well that went well," Ryan commented to Eric.

"It could have gone a lot worse. H is under a lot of pressure, and he's trying to hold it in. I just hope this Nick thing doesn't push him over the edge."

"God, I just want this damned trial to be over and done with!" Ryan exclaimed. "I'm so sick of this!"

Eric clapped him on the back. "Me too Wolfe, me too. You know I'm here for both of you."

"Thanks Eric."

"Now let's get back to court."

Rebecca's boss wisely decided not to allow her to do the redirect on Ryan, so he didn't have to testify again, much to her chagrin. So she compensated by haranguing Derek's witnesses, which wasn't going over so well with the jury, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Even the cops Derek called couldn't escape her malice.

"What's she doing?" Ryan whispered to Eric. "She's burying herself."

"I don't know," Eric answered. "Seems that her case may be unraveling and she doesn't like to lose."

"The defense may call its next witness," the judge said.

"The defense calls Sofia Borgia Malone," Derek stated.

A tall woman with hair and eyes like Lenny's stood up and approached the witness stand. Ryan had seen her before in the courtroom, staring at him. Was she…Lenny's sister? Why hadn't Horatio told her about him?

Derek began his interview. "Could you state your name and relationship to the deceased for the record?"

"Sofia Borgia Malone, older sister to Leonardo Borgia."

"Thank you. Mrs. Malone, could you tell the last time you spoke to your brother?"

"Three years ago at my mother's funeral."

"And why is that?"

"Because he's a violent maniac and I stayed away from him as much as possible."

"Objection," Rebecca stood up.

"Overruled."

"Thank you. What was it like growing up with Leonardo?"

"He was violent and disrespectful, just like my father. He hit me a lot when I didn't do what he said or listen to him."

Whispers and gasps from the jury. "I'm sorry to hear that Mrs. Malone. What did your parents do when they found out he attacked you?"

"My mom was upset but she couldn't do anything because of my father. My father said I must have deserved it because I didn't know when to keep my mouth shut, like my mother."

"Did your father hit your mother?"

"Yes, all the time."

"Did he hit you?"

"Yes, he would slap me and call me a worthless slut like my mother."

"What happened after your father died?"

"My father died when I was sixteen and Lenny was fifteen. My mother and I hoped Lenny would change for the better, but he got worse, he started hitting my mother too, and calling her names. He blamed her for dad's death."

"How did your father die?"

"He had a heart attack on his way home from work. He was driving and his car went over a bridge."

"Why did Leonardo think that was your mother's fault?"

"He said she stressed him out and that's why he had the heart attack."

"I see. What happened after that?"

"Well like I said, Lenny kept getting worse and worse. He kept getting into trouble at school and getting suspended, then blaming it on us. Finally my mom kicked him out when he was sixteen. She said he was just like our father and there was no hope for him."

"Did he ever try to come back?"

"No. He called both of us evil witches and told us to burn in hell."

"Thank you. What happened at your mother's funeral?"

"He showed up at the gravesite. After everyone left, he asked me how she died. I told him she had been battling ovarian cancer for two years and he said 'serves her right' and left. What kind of monster would say that about his own mother? At her grave?"

"I'm sorry to hear that Mrs. Malone. No more questions."

Ryan sat, listening to her story. Lenny had only talked about his father, and how his mother killed him. Once Ryan asked him what he meant, but Lenny's reaction was so violent that he never broached the subject again.

"Your witness," Derek said to Rebecca.

"Mrs. Malone," Rebecca started. "You said that your father was abusive towards you and your mother?"

"Yes," Sofia answered.

"Was he abusive towards Leonardo as well?"

"Every once in a while," Sofia answered.

"So what you're telling me is that a man who was abused at a child and watched his father abuse his wife and daughter turned out to be an abuser as well?"

"Yes."

"So what you're saying is that the tragic events of his childhood damages him emotionally and he needed help."

"Yes, he needed a lot of help," Sofia answered, refusing to be rattled by Rebecca's antics.

"Before your mother kicked your emotionally scarred and traumatized brother on the street did she try to get him some help?" Rebecca asked accusingly.

"Yes, she tried to put him in counseling but he wouldn't go," Sofia said. "He refused to listen to her or anyone else. He was always so stubborn and thought he knew everything."

"But you do agree that being abused by his father and watching the violence in your household impacted him in such a way that he couldn't help his actions?" Rebecca asked.

Sofia narrowed her eyes at Rebecca. "That's a load of bull. My husband was beaten by his stepfather on almost a daily basis and he has never laid a hand on either of our children. _Ever._ That's just an excuse." She didn't lose her temper, but she definitely didn't let Rebecca provoke her either. Ryan was relieved.

"So you don't have any sympathy over your brother being murdered in cold blood-"

"Objection," Derek intervened.

"Sustained. Rephrase Ms. Nevins," the judge ordered.

"Yes your honor. Did your brother's death bother you at all?"

"Yes and no. It bothered me because he never made peace with me, or my mother, or got any help for his problems. He turned to drugs and victimizing other people, like Ryan."

"Your honor, I want that last statement stricken from the record," Rebecca requested.

"Overruled."

"Did you pay for your brother's funeral and burial?"

"Yes, my husband and I paid for his funeral and buried him beside my father."

"If you hated him so much, then why did you pay for his funeral and burial?"

"Because he was my brother, nothing more."

"I see. No more questions." Rebecca knew she wouldn't be able to use his sister to get sympathy from the jury as she had hoped and was just wasting her time.

After that the judge declared the court in recess until the next morning, when Horatio would take the stand.

Sofia walked up to Ryan outside.

"Excuse me. Ryan?"

"Yeah, hey. Nice to meet you," Ryan said, meaning to shake her hand, but Sofia gave him a tight hug.

"I'm sorry for what Lenny did to you. He was always like that. Violent and stubborn, just like my father."

"It's ok Sofia. Lenny made his own choices."

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" She asked.

Ryan looked at his watch. "Sure." He was supposed to meet Eric and Nick at eight thirty, but it was only five.

At the park, they walked on a bridge together.

"Ryan, I wanted you to have the whole story, and not think my mom was heartless for throwing Lenny out like that."

"Sofia, I don't think that at all."

"I know. But my mom really did try to help Lenny, but he was having none of it. She took him to the priest, and counselors at school and out of school. The doctor prescribed some medicine for him and it worked for a while, but then he stopped taking it. He said he wasn't crazy and she was trying to poison him and kill him just like dad. The psychiatrist said he may have been bipolar but he wouldn't be tested. I didn't want to say that on the stand though, and give that witch more to work with. She really has it in for your boyfriend, everyone could see it. I think he will win. I already told him I hold no animosity towards him. Lenny would have eventually killed you, or someone else."

Ryan nodded.

"And it broke my mother's heart to kick him out. He was her only son. She prayed for him every night, and lit a candle for him every day. Even on her deathbed she asked for his forgiveness, as if he deserved it."

"I'm sorry about your mother. I know it was hard for her."

"It was. Lenny was big like my dad, and she was barely five feet tall. Lenny was taller than her by the time he was ten. And he was so strong…and mean. He once told me that all women were evil witches and we all deserved to go to hell. Can you believe that? He was only a kid then and already a misogynist."

Ryan shook his head, deep in thought. He decided to change the subject. "You said you have children, tell me about them."

Sofia smiled, and pulled up a picture of them on her phone. Two boys who looked to be about five, and a younger girl. All with dark curly hair and olive green eyes.

"Michael and Mario are six and Jon-Maria is four, named after my mother."

"They are all beautiful. You said you're married right?"

"Yes, Anthony and I have been married for eight years. He had a hard childhood like me, but we vowed to make it different for our children."

"That's good," Ryan said. "It was nice to meet you Sofia, and keep in touch. I would love to meet your family someday." He gave her a hug, and she left.

After that he hung out in the park for a while, walking and thinking to himself. Then he headed to Eric's apartment. Nick was already there.

"Hello Ryan. I'm sure you have been wondering about my back story. Well I'm here to tell you."

"Yes," Horatio spoke up, appearing from the back. "And we are all anxious to hear what you have to say for yourself."

**So what is Nick's story? Will Horatio change his mind about him? Why is Eric so ready to trust him? Find out in the next chapter, which will be posted very, very soon!**

**Thank you for your reviews, keep them up!**

**Ng714**


	21. Chapter 21

"Lieutenant Caine," Nick addressed Horatio. I see you had Eric look into my background. Very shrewd."

Horatio raised his eyebrow. "And how would you know that?" Horatio had instructed Eric and Ryan not to inform Nick.

"Lieutenant, I've had more than my share of run-ins with the cops. I know how it works. Plus, you would be fools not to, considering all that has happened to Ryan and you; to have some strange man show up out of nowhere and offer to 'help'. But I digress. Let's get to my story."

Horatio leaned up against the wall near the bar. Nick was seated on the couch beside Eric and Ryan was on the floor, near the recliner. He motioned for Horatio to join him, but Horatio remained where he was.

"Well everything you read about me is true, and there is much more to the story that you don't know. I got involved with a man named Chris, a lot like Lenny, but in some ways far worse. He grew up poor, and was determined to get rich at any cost, and honest means weren't high on his list considering that he was a high school dropout.

"Anyway, I met him while I was in college. He worked there in maintenance, and had plenty of men and women after him. He was also one of the biggest drug dealers on campus."

"What kind of drugs?" Horatio asked.

"Mainly ecstasy and designer drugs, you know, for the rich college kids. I got twisted up with him, we started seeing each other, and I helped him deal to the kids. It was pretty lucrative. It lasted for about a year. He made close to two hundred grand. He bought a new car, and a condo. All was well until we got busted.

"Turns out my roommate ratted me out to campus police. They had been tracking us for months. Chris was fired, and his car and condo were seized by the feds. I was kicked out of school. My parents disowned me. I was the first in my family to go to college. My grandparents emigrated here from Germany during the rise of the Hitler and the Nazi party. They had to start over from nothing. Not to mention that it was WWII and they were German, so they didn't have many friends. Other Germans that immigrated here with them set up a small community in Boston. That's where my parents were raised. Everyone was close. My grandparents started a small brewery which gradually gained popularity after the war. Turns out Americans had a appetite for German beer. My father went to work for my grandfather after Vietnam, and kept the brewery going. Eventually their hard work paid off and they started a small company. My sister, brother and I were able to go to college. They were so upset when I got kicked out. They didn't speak to me for years after that.

"Anyway, I was kicked out of college, Chris was fired but other than them taking our stuff we got off pretty light. Chris did six months in prison and I got probation. But no other college would accept me after that. And when Chris got out of prison, that's when the abuse started. He blamed me for us getting caught and said that I owed him. So began my life of crime. I was still pretty good looking, if you'll forgive me for being so pompous. So I was able to pull both older men and women, all rich, and steal from them. Chris started a gardening and carpet cleaning business and that's how we would find our marks. I would date them, and gain their trust and then we would rob them blind, stealing their credit cards and bank accounts information. We were caught a few times in the beginning, but after that we got pretty good. We scammed millions of dollars off our victims." Nick sat back, sighed and closed his eyes. Ryan's eyes were wide with amazement. Horatio's face was as hard as flint.

"Didn't you ever think to stop?" Ryan asked. "That one day you would get busted again?"

"Believe me I did," Nick answered. "But Chris got hooked on heroin and the high life we were living so he wouldn't let me get out. I was his cash cow, and he wasn't going to let me go. So I kept going, prostituting myself and milking unsuspecting victims out of their life savings. I tried to run away several, times, but by then Chris had built up quite a network of associates; ruthless thugs who would do whatever he wanted, as long as they were paid. One day I ran into my sister in the market. I told her my story and she took me home to my parents. They welcomed me home, and I stayed there a few days, until Chris caught up with me."

"What happened then?" Ryan asked.

"He sent his goons with a message for my parents. They could let me go, or he would make them pay. Fearing the worst, I was going to go with them, but my parents refused. They said they would not be threatened into giving up their eldest son to some lowlife scum. I pleaded with them to just let me go, but they said they had just gotten their son back and they weren't just going to let me leave. I snuck out that night and went back to Chris, I apologized and pleaded with him to leave my parents alone, but it was too late. That night, he drove me to my parents' brewery. I watched as he pressed a button on his cell phone and the brewery blew up. Three night watchmen that were on duty were killed. They grew up with my parents in the neighborhood. All killed, because of me."

Nick closed his eyes tight, as if to blink back tears. His leg shook violently; Eric put a calming hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer.

"My parents had insurance, so they were able to rebuild, and they took care of the families of the watchmen. No one else found out that the brewery was blown up because of me. But Chris warned me that next time it would be my parents' house, and he would make sure they were home."

Horatio had come to sit in the recliner and Ryan was leaning against him. Now Horatio could see it. The guilt, it was there, always, eating away at him constantly, not unlike himself…

"I knew I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wanted to get out, but I knew more people would get hurt of even killed, and it would all be because of _me._ So I started slipping up, making tiny mistakes, leaving a trail for the police to follow. They finally caught on to me and called me in. They agreed to grant me immunity to most of the charges and that I would do no more than a year if I testified against Chris in court. I took the deal. But the night the bust was supposed to happen, something went awry. Someone tipped Chris off as to what was about to happen. He beat me, tortured me and …." Chris trailed off. "…for hours that night. Then he took me out on his boat and chained me naked on the deck for three days without food or water. It was February in Boston, so the temperature was well below freezing at night.

"His goons kept bringing him different pieces of the puzzle. When he had what it all pieced together, he took a chunk of ice out of the water and smashed my face in with it."

Ryan gasped, Horatio held him close. Nick was now leaning back against Eric, who was holding him in a firm but gentle grip.

"He hit me over and over with the ice, I lost count. Then he threw me in the water. But the police were already on their way. If they had pulled me out when they did, I would have frozen to death in that water, or bled out." Nick took a picture out of his wallet and showed it to Horatio and Ryan. The whole left side of his face was crushed, and his lip was split open, his eye was nearly out of the socket.

"Seventeen surgeries later and here I am. The left side of my face had to be reconstructed, not to mention the fourteen teeth I lost. And then there was the hearing loss, and brain injury. My face was in bandages for almost a year.

"At the trial, the D.A. reneged on the deal I initially made, and said he was charging me with the same charges as Chris, minus the assault. They even wanted to charge me as a co-conspirator to my parents' brewery being blown up. My lawyer argued that Chris should be charged with attempted murder, but the D.A. wasn't interested. Chris cut a deal and only served six months. He testified against me. I got two years, it would have been longer but I had a good lawyer.

"I was out in less than a year for good behavior. By then a new D.A. was putting together a case against Chris on some other charges, and was going to charge him with attempted murder for what he did to me. All I had to do was testify, but I was afraid. I remembered what he said about my family, and I didn't want to put them through that again."

"So what did you do?" Ryan asked.

"My family talked me into testifying. They refused to let Chris intimidate them, and said that they wouldn't allow him to control my life any longer. So I testified. It paid off initially. Chris was convicted of attempted murder and lots of other drug, extortion, and fraud charges, but he was out on bond and waiting to be sentenced. The D.A. said he would get at least 20 years. My family had a dinner to celebrate my courage and Chris finally being put away, but I had a bad feeling something was going to happen. That night, my father's truck blew up, taking down a huge part of our house with it."

"Was anyone hurt?" Horatio asked. Nick shook his head.

"No, the truck wasn't in the garage. If it had been, then we would have all been killed. I knew it was Chris. We called the police, but they said that they couldn't tie him to the bomb, and since he had an alibi, there was nothing they could do. I took a gun and went to confront him. He was headed out of the country, to Indonesia, or somewhere with no extradition treaty, with his newest boy toy. He laughed at me when I confronted him, and told me that no amount of miles could keep him from reaching me, and to sleep with one eye open. I couldn't let him do that to my family anymore, so I shot him.

"There was another trial, and I was prepared to go to jail for the rest of my life, knowing that my family would be safe. But somehow my lawyer, the D.A. and my family convinced his new boyfriend to testify as to what happened, and what their plans were. He planned to have my whole family killed while he was out of the country. His goons, who were no longer on his payroll, no longer felt the any obligation to him or each other. His whole crime network unraveled. But I was too ashamed to show my face in public again, after all that I had put my family through. After I was acquitted, I left Boston, and haven't been back since."

"I'm sure your family doesn't blame you for what happened," Eric said.

"No, but I do. If I had never got caught up with Chris and that lifestyle, none of this would have happened. I left so many victims in my wake, I hurt so many people. I'll live with that for the rest of my life."

"But you were a victim too," Eric argued.

Nick nodded. "I was, but that doesn't make it any better. So I vowed to spend the rest of my life helping people, in order to atone for my sins. When I first got here, I was really messed up in the head. The U2 center really helped me. I went back to school and got certified in counseling. That, combined with my personal experience has really made a difference for many men."

Everyone was silent for a long moment. Horatio spoke up first. "Nick I misjudged you. I owe you an apology."

"No you don't Horatio. I'm everything you said I was, and more. But I truly do want to help Ryan."

Horatio walked over and sat on the couch beside Eric and Nick. "I know you do, and I believe that you can. You have earned my trust Nick. Now Eric," Horatio said, standing. "I'm tired; it's been a long day. You mind if I rest for an hour or two in your spare room?"

"No problem H."

"Thank you. Ryan, join me?"

"Yeah," Ryan stood up and walked over to Nick. "Thanks for sharing your story with us."

"Of course. Good night Ryan, good night Horatio."

On the bed, Ryan and Horatio stretched out together. "I apologize for my attitude these past days Ryan. I've just been worried about you, and wanted to be sure Nick was legit."

Ryan snuggled closer to Horatio. "I know H. And I know this trial has put a lot of pressure on you too. I can't wait until it's over. No jury in their right mind would convict you."

"We shall see. But let's not talk of that anymore. I want to hold you tonight, knowing that you will be safe and are on your way to recovery." They could hear Eric and Nick talking quietly.

"What is that language they're speaking? Is that German?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, it is. Apparently Eric is fluent in German, as well as Russian and Spanish."

"Wow. Think they're talking about us H?" Ryan joked.

"I doubt that love, I seriously doubt it."

Out on the couch, Nick had his head in Eric's lap and Eric was stroking Nick's blond curls and speaking to him in German.

"You know Nick, you're being way too hard on yourself. You've made a lot of mistakes, but we all have. You've more than made up for them, and you are still doing so."

"I know. I'm glad you asked me over, and you were right about Horatio."

"Yeah, he's a bit of a control freak, but he does have a big heart. He's like a brother to me. We we've always been close. I'm glad he and Ryan have each other. Ryan and I have gotten closer too."

"I'm sure they're grateful for you and all you've done Eric. You've stuck your neck out for them."

"Yeah, well don't change the subject. We were talking about you. Have you been in touch with your family?"

"Yes, I call them once a month, and send cards on their birthdays, anniversary and Christmas. But I won't see them, I don't deserve to."

"Nick, it sounds like you're not done healing."

**So there you have it, Nick's story. Next up, Horatio's testimony. It looks like the jury is leaning towards Horatio, but don't count Rebecca out yet! Also, Ryan is on his road so recovery, and can Eric help Nick continue healing? Find out, as we enter the last acts of **_**Love Doesn't Hurt**_**.**


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